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
$60,020
Typical range
$38k – $90k
Job outlook
+3% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Entry / Junior
$37,850
~2 yrs to advance
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Established
$60,020
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Senior
$74,840
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
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.