Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Wellhead Pumpers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers and Wellhead Pumpers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | Wellhead Pumpers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $60,020 | $70,010 |
| Employment | 12,600 | 17,350 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+2.6%) | Declining (-4.7%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 1,500 | 2,000 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Moderate · 50th pct | Low · 23rd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 51st pct · 28% of tasks | 30th pct · 19% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Operations Monitoring, Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Perceptual Speed, Oral Expression, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Production and Processing, Control Precision, Mechanical, Information Ordering, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Multilimb Coordination, Far Vision, Mathematics, Troubleshooting, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Inductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Visualization, Reaction Time, Static Strength, Trunk Strength.
Specific to Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
- English Language
- Written Expression
- Flexibility of Closure
- Selective Attention
- Finger Dexterity
- Rate Control
- Extent Flexibility
- Visual Color Discrimination
Specific to Wellhead Pumpers
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Complex Problem Solving
- Response Orientation
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Administrative
- Chemistry
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software , Data base user interface and query software , Industrial control software .
Specific to Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Specific to Wellhead Pumpers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers or Wellhead Pumpers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Chemical Plant and System Operators
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Wellhead Pumpers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/pump-operators-except-wellhead-pumpers-vs-wellhead-pumpers
Singulariki. (2026). Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Wellhead Pumpers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/pump-operators-except-wellhead-pumpers-vs-wellhead-pumpers
@misc{singulariki-pump-operators-except-wellhead-pumpers-vs-wellhead-pumpers,
title = {Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers vs Wellhead Pumpers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/pump-operators-except-wellhead-pumpers-vs-wellhead-pumpers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.