Careers / Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$77,320

United States, 2025

Employment

3,510

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress, or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.

O*NET code
53-7071.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
  • Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
  • Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
  • Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
  • Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
  • Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
  • Submit daily reports on facility operations.
  • Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$46,180
10th
$58,580
25th
$77,320
Median
$91,020
75th
$99,510
90th

10th percentile

$46,180

25th percentile

$58,580

75th percentile

$91,020

90th percentile

$99,510

Most important skills

  • Operations Monitoring4.0
  • Operation and Control3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Equipment Maintenance3.1
  • Troubleshooting3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
  • Repairing3.0
  • Writing3.0
  • Coordination3.0

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 16 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

16

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Operations Monitoring4.03.9Not selected3.9
Operation and Control3.93.8Not selected3.8
Critical Thinking3.63.0Not selected3.0
Equipment Maintenance3.13.1Not selected3.1
Troubleshooting3.13.1Not selected3.1
Reading Comprehension3.13.1Not selected3.1
Monitoring3.13.0Not selected3.0
Active Listening3.13.0Not selected3.0
Quality Control Analysis3.03.0Not selected3.0
Repairing3.03.0Not selected3.0
Speaking3.03.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.03.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.02.9Not selected2.9
Coordination3.02.9Not selected2.9
Time Management3.02.8Not selected2.8
Judgment and Decision Making3.02.8Not selected2.8

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
KS$107,730502025
AK$106,440602025
IN$100,280402025
Houston, TX$90,7302025
OH$85,9301202025
MT$83,7501002025
OK$82,1501402025
TX$82,1201,3502025
LA$79,970602025
Dallas, TX$79,7201002025
MI$78,240402025
CO$76,2002025
Charleston, WV$73,080302025
WV$65,0502002025
VA$64,990402025
NE$64,620402025
Pittsburgh, PA$61,190602025
PA$60,1703002025
NY$59,040602025
WA$57,5001202025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.