Keep a human in the loop
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
- Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. · 90.6% need a human
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Occupation · SOC 51-8093.00
Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.
Also called: Gauger · Operator · Pumper · Refinery Operator · Board Operator · Crude Unit Operator · Hydrotreater Operator · Outside Operator · Stillman · Unit Operator · Absorption Plant Operator · Control Board Operator
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-8093-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-2.8% by 2034)
- 3,200 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $97,540/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (58th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (28th)
28th-percentile task overlap — yet about 3,200 openings a year (-2.8% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 38th | -0.4 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 35th | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 14th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.7 · 58th percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. | 2.7% | |
| Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses. | 1.5% | |
| Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -2.8% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 3,200 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 34,900 → 34,000 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers sits at the 55th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
29% mean task exposure (2025)
55th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum and Natural Gas Refining Plant Operators · 3134 | 29% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Working with AI in this job
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
What people delegate to AI
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. | — | 0.3% |
Where a human is still needed
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. | 90.6% |
What people most often hand AI here
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
-
Help me calculate test result values, using standard formulas.From: Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. · 0.3% of measured AI use
Tasks
All 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures. Core · importance 4.3
- Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled. Core · importance 4.3
- Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems. Core · importance 4.3
- Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules. Core · importance 4.2
- Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks. Core · importance 4.2
- Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly. Core · importance 4.2
- Patrol units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks, and to verify that activities and operations are safe, efficient, and in compliance with regulations. Core · importance 4.1
- Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities. Core · importance 4.1
- Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery. Core · importance 4.1
- Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment. Core · importance 4.1
- Collect product samples by turning bleeder valves, or by lowering containers into tanks to obtain oil samples. Core · importance 4.1
- Read and analyze specifications, schedules, logs, test results, and laboratory recommendations to determine how to set equipment controls to produce the required qualities and quantities of products. Core · importance 4.0
- Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks. Core · importance 4.0
- Synchronize activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products. Core · importance 4.0
- Perform tests to check the qualities and grades of products, such as assessing levels of bottom sediment, water, and foreign materials in oil samples, using centrifugal testers. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses. Core · importance 4.0
- Conduct general housekeeping of units, including wiping up oil spills and performing general cleaning duties. Core · importance 3.9
- Inspect pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves as necessary. Core · importance 3.6
- Calculate test result values, using standard formulas. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Clean interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Clamp seals around valves to secure tanks. Supplemental · importance 3.4
- Coordinate shutdowns and major projects. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings. Supplemental · importance 2.8
Work activities
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of water, cleaning solutions, or other liquids.
- Operate pumping systems or equipment.
- Operate energy distribution equipment.
- Signal others to coordinate work activities.
- Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
- Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
- Record operational or production data.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Monitor equipment fluid levels.
- Repair production equipment or tools.
- Maintain production or processing equipment.
- Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
- Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
- Inspect production equipment.
- Lubricate production equipment.
- Clean work areas.
- Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
- Calculate costs of goods or services.
- Calculate weights, volumes or other characteristics of materials.
- Clean production equipment.
- Seal gaps or cracks to prevent leakage or moisture intrusion.
- Analyze test results.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Abilities
| Information Ordering | 3.8 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.8 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.8 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.6 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.5 | |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.4 | |
| Auditory Attention | 3.4 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.3 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.1 | |
| Control Precision | 3.1 | |
| Written Expression | 3.0 | |
| Visualization | 3.0 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.0 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.0 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.0 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.0 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 | |
| Speaking | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | |
| Writing | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 3.6 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.6 | |
| Mechanical | 3.5 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.5 | |
| Mathematics | 3.2 | |
| English Language | 3.2 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 97.0% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 1.7% | |
| Some College Courses | 1.3% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.2 | |
| Conventional | 5.1 | |
| Investigative | 2.4 | |
| Enterprising | 2.2 |
Interest areas
| Mechanics/Electronics | 4.7 | |
| Engineering | 4.2 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 3.2 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 3.0 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 2.1 | |
| Management/Administration | 2.0 | |
| Physical Science | 1.9 |
Work styles
| Cautiousness | 3.0 | |
| Dependability | 3.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.4 | |
| Integrity | 1.9 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 1.9 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $59,790 |
| 25th percentile | $77,970 |
| Median (50th) | $97,540 |
| 75th percentile | $104,660 |
| 90th percentile | $112,920 |
| People employed | 34,860 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 21,290 | $100,970 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 7,890 | $93,010 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 2,070 | $80,380 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 2,060 | $52,760 |
| Construction · Sector | 230 | $85,660 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 200 | $63,460 |
| Utilities · Sector | 190 | $60,570 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 110 | $104,000 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 40 | $56,070 |
| Other Building Equipment Contractors · National industry | 30 | $63,850 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 15.97× | 2,070 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 7.38× | 21,290 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 4.72× | 7,890 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 1.51× | 2,060 |
| Utilities · Sector | 1.45× | 190 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 0.31× | 200 |
| Construction · Sector | 0.13× | 230 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.05× | 110 |
Related occupations
Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.
- Gas Plant Operators · 51-8092.00 Compare →
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators · 53-7071.00 Compare →
- Wellhead Pumpers · 53-7073.00 Compare →
- Power Plant Operators · 51-8013.00 Compare →
- Chemical Plant and System Operators · 51-8091.00 Compare →
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers · 53-7072.00 Compare →
- Biomass Plant Technicians · 51-8013.03 Compare →
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · 51-8031.00 Compare →
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · 51-8021.00 Compare →
- Biofuels Processing Technicians · 51-8099.01 Compare →
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · 47-5013.00 Compare →
- Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · 51-8013.04 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 55th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,200 annual U.S. openings
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 3,200 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-2.8%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $97,540, across about 34,860 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,200 annual U.S. openings • Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 3,200 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-2.8%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $97,540, across about 34,860 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8093-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
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
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- 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
Plain
Singulariki. "Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers." 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; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); 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/roles/role-51-8093-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8093-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-8093-00,
title = {Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); 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/roles/role-51-8093-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.