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 →Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
Occupation · SOC 53-7071.00
Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress, or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.
Also called: Compressor Station Operator · Compressor Technician · Filler · Plant Operator · Compressor Operator · Fill Plant Operator · Liquefied Natural Gas Plant Operator (LNG Plant Operator) · Pipeline Technician · Terminal Operator · Acetylene Gas Compressor · Air Compressor Technician · Butadiene Compressor Operator
Job family: Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-53-7071-00/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.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-1.3% by 2034)
- 600 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $71,510/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (81st); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (18th)
18th-percentile task overlap — yet about 600 openings a year (-1.3% 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.) Low | 29th | -0.7 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 33rd | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 2nd | 0.0 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.2), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), 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.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
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 0.9 · 81st percentile among occupations · High
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 · -1.3% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 600 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 5,400 → 5,300 |
“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.
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators 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.
Tasks
All 13 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures. Core · importance 4.4
- Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas. Core · importance 4.3
- Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance. Core · importance 4.3
- Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs. Core · importance 4.3
- Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment. Core · importance 4.2
- Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials. Core · importance 4.1
- Submit daily reports on facility operations. Core · importance 4.0
- Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis. Core · importance 4.0
- Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders. Core · importance 4.0
- Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures. Core · importance 3.8
- Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, and replace filters and gaskets, using hand tools. Core · importance 3.8
- Maintain each station by performing general housekeeping duties such as painting, washing, and cleaning. Core · importance 3.6
- Connect pipelines between pumps and containers that are being filled or emptied. Core · importance 3.2
Work activities
- Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
- Control pumps or pumping equipment.
- Record operational or production data.
- Direct maintenance or repair activities.
- Test materials, solutions, or samples.
- Collect samples for analysis or testing.
- Clean machinery or equipment.
- Connect hoses to equipment or machinery.
- Clean facilities or work areas.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 4.6 | |
| Mechanical | 4.3 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.9 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.8 | |
| Chemistry | 3.7 | |
| English Language | 3.6 | |
| Education and Training | 3.5 | |
| Mathematics | 3.4 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.4 | |
| Physics | 3.1 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.1 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 |
Abilities
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.9 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.9 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.9 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.8 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Control Precision | 3.5 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.4 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Reaction Time | 3.3 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.1 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Far Vision | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.1 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Writing | 3.0 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
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
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | Facilities management software | |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software | Industrial control software |
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.
| Some College Courses | 11.1% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10.4% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.3 | |
| Conventional | 4.8 | |
| Investigative | 2.3 |
Interest areas
Work styles
| Dependability | 3.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.6 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.4 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 1.8 | |
| Integrity | 1.8 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $43,950 |
| 25th percentile | $57,520 |
| Median (50th) | $71,510 |
| 75th percentile | $88,090 |
| 90th percentile | $98,350 |
| People employed | 5,110 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 1,970 | $80,830 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 780 | $49,480 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 750 | $64,810 |
| Utilities · Sector | 500 | $92,020 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 350 | $56,670 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 190 | $63,410 |
| Construction · Sector | 80 | $79,940 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation · National industry | 70 | $107,550 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | — | $48,860 |
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 | 39.46× | 750 |
| Utilities · Sector | 26.04× | 500 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 8.04× | 1,970 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 3.9× | 780 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 0.68× | 350 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 0.45× | 190 |
Related occupations
Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.
- Gas Plant Operators · 51-8092.00 Compare →
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · 51-8093.00 Compare →
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · 51-8021.00 Compare →
- Power Plant Operators · 51-8013.00 Compare →
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers · 53-7072.00 Compare →
- Chemical Plant and System Operators · 51-8091.00 Compare →
- Biomass Plant Technicians · 51-8013.03 Compare →
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door · 49-9012.00 Compare →
- Wellhead Pumpers · 53-7073.00 Compare →
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · 51-8031.00 Compare →
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · 51-4051.00 Compare →
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9012.00 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 Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators — 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
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators show 18th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 600 annual U.S. openings
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators rank in the 18th 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 600 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 (-1.3%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $71,510, across about 5,110 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators show 18th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 600 annual U.S. openings • Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators rank in the 18th 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 600 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 (-1.3%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $71,510, across about 5,110 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-7071-00 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
- 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. "Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators." 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/roles/role-53-7071-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-7071-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-53-7071-00,
title = {Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators},
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/roles/role-53-7071-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.