Material Moving Workers

How to become a Pump Operator or Except Wellhead Pumper

Official title: Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Also called: Boom Pump Operator, Chemical Pumper, Day Light Relief Operator, Outside Operator, Pipeline Dispatch Operator, Pipeline Operator, Pump Operator, Pump Station Operator, Pumper, Tank Farm Operator

Tend, control, or operate power-driven, stationary, or portable pumps and manifold systems to transfer gases, oil, other liquids, slurries, or powdered materials to and from various vessels and processes.

Main tasks

Monitor gauges and flowmeters and inspect equipment to ensure that tank levels, temperatures, chemical amounts, and pressures are at specified levels, reporting abnormalities as necessary.
Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.
Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage.
Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.
Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.
Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.
Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts.
Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $61,770 a year The middle half earn $47,560 to $77,210.
About 9,800 people work in this job now, and about 10,200 are projected by 2035. (+4.3%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How much does a Pump Operator or Except Wellhead Pumper earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $61,770 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,560 to $77,210.

Is a Pump Operator or Except Wellhead Pumper a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 9,800 to about 10,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Pump Operator or Except Wellhead Pumper?

Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Pump Operator or Except Wellhead Pumper?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.