Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed
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.
Median pay: $61,770/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)
Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.
Job outlook: +2.6% projected growth, 2024–2034 — about as fast as average.
About 1,500 openings per year, on average, over the decade.
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.
• 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.
What's the median pay for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers?
The median pay for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is $61,770 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What's the job outlook for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers?
Employment for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is projected to change +2.6% from 2024 to 2034 - about as fast as average.
What education is typically required for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers?
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
How many job openings are there each year for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers?
About 1,500 openings per year, on average, over the decade.