Operate pumping systems or equipment.

Operate pumping systems or equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 15 occupations and seen in 22 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Operate pumping systems or equipment. in Controlling Machines and Processes .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 22 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust biofuels production. · Biofuels Processing Technicians · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps. · Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Fill processing or cooking containers, such as kettles, rotating cookers, pressure cookers, or vats, with ingredients, by opening valves, by starting pumps or injectors, or by hand. · Food Batchmakers · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials. · Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures. · Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Start pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases or vapors, to regulate the flow of oil, steam, air, or perfume to towers, or to add products to converter or blending vessels. · Chemical Plant and System Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate, control, or monitor equipment, such as acid or gas carbon dioxide removal units, carbon dioxide compressors, or pipelines, to capture, store, or transport carbon dioxide exhaust. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools. · Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps. · Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust production of biofuels or biomass-fueled power. · Biomass Plant Technicians · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks. · Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials. · Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps or conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. · Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes. · Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery. · Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines. · Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. · Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment. · Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines. · Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Start metering pumps and observe operation of machines and equipment to ensure continuous flow of filaments extruded through spinnerettes and to detect processing defects. · Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Biofuels Processing Technicians
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Food Batchmakers
• Power Plant Operators
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Chemical Plant and System Operators
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers

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
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-operate-pumping-systems-or-equipment,
  title  = {Operate pumping systems or equipment.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/operate-pumping-systems-or-equipment}
}