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Skilled Trades

Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

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 salary (BLS)

$61,770

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$39k – $92k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

    Entry / Junior

    $39,420

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

    Established

    $61,770

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

    Senior

    $76,795

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.