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Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $61,770 Median per year · $29.70/hr Most earn $39,420–$91,820

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.
  • Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.
  • Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.
  • Add chemicals and solutions to tanks to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Collect and deliver sample solutions for laboratory analysis.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Support activities for mining15.6%
  • Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors12.5%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods8.9%
  • Pipeline transportation of crude oil7.3%
  • Remediation and other waste management services6.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Pump operator jobs usually need only a high school diploma, plus about 1 to 2 years of on-the-job experience before people feel fully ready. It's a good entry point for people who like hands-on work with machines and plant systems.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Take math, chemistry, physics, and shop or mechanical classes to build the basics for reading gauges, understanding pressure and flow, and following safety procedures.

  2. Chemical Equipment Operator

    6 months to 1 year

    Start by running and monitoring process equipment in a plant, which teaches you the valves, gauges, and safety routines that pump work depends on.

  3. Pump Operator

    1 to 2 years of total experience

    Work as a pump operator, tending and controlling pumps and manifold systems to move liquids, gases, or slurries safely and on schedule.

Where it can lead

  1. Gas Compressor Operator

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Move into running larger gas compressor and pumping station systems, which usually requires more experience and a deeper understanding of equipment.

  2. Stationary Engineer

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    Take on responsibility for the broader plant utilities, such as boilers and large mechanical systems, which usually comes through a certificate or apprenticeship.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and science classesAlgebra, chemistry, and physics help you understand pressure, flow rates, and how liquids move through pipes.
  • Join a shop or CTE programHands-on classes in welding, machining, or auto repair build the mechanical skills used around pumps and valves.
  • Get a part-time or summer jobWork at a farm, warehouse, car wash, or local plant to get comfortable with equipment, routines, and following safety rules.
  • Take a workplace safety courseMany schools and community groups offer basic first aid or safety training, which looks good on applications and helps you on the job.

In college

  • Take courses in process technology or mechanical systemsClasses on fluid mechanics, industrial equipment, or process operations, often offered at community colleges, give you a head start on how pump systems work.
  • Work a campus or part-time job with equipmentJobs in campus facilities, dining kitchens, or maintenance teach you to follow procedures and monitor systems.
  • Look for a summer internship or co-op at a plant or terminalReal experience at an industrial site shows employers you can work safely around pumps, valves, and gauges.
  • Earn a safety or operator certification if availableMany community colleges and employers offer short certifications in industrial safety, hazard communication, or equipment operation that make your résumé stronger.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a school shop, science, or CTE teacher about hands-on projects that involve valves, pumps, or basic plumbing, since they show you how these systems actually work.
  • Look for summer or part-time jobs at plants, warehouses, farms, or water and waste facilities. Even general labor gives you the workplace experience employers look for.
  • Learn basic safety habits early, like following lockout procedures and wearing protective gear, because safety is a major part of this work.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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