Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Career, Salary and Skills
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $61,770 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 9,780. Wage data is published for 75 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
53-7072.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$61,770
Hourly median
$29.70
Employment
9,780
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Operation and Control | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | 3.00 | 2.88 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.
- Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts.
- Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.
Technology
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Operational databases
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in TXMedian $61,770 · Employment 2,110
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in LAMedian $64,110 · Employment 1,370
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in CAMedian $57,660 · Employment 1,220
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in Houston, TXMedian $76,670 · Employment 770
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in ORMedian $54,540 · Employment 630
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in FLMedian $59,120 · Employment 510
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in New York, NYMedian $63,540 · Employment 410
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in NJMedian $64,990 · Employment 310
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in NYMedian $48,010 · Employment 300
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in Portland, ORMedian $63,480 · Employment 300
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in WYMedian $77,820 · Employment 290
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary in Midland, TXMedian $54,800 · Employment 270
Related careers
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe CleanersNational median $49,880
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and GasNational median $58,160
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and TendersNational median $48,040
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median $64,520
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersNational median $43,530
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersNational median $54,430
- Maintenance Workers, MachineryNational median $60,850
- Biomass Plant TechniciansNational median $102,040
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.