TL;DR

About 5,110 gas compressor and gas pumping station operators nationally earn a mean of $76,352. Employment in the series shown fell about 100% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 13.0% annual growth.

Key Statistics

5,110
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$76,352
Average Salary

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators: what the data shows

Common questions about gas compressor and gas pumping station operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a gas compressor and gas pumping station operators?

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-7071.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,110 workers.

What does a gas compressor and gas pumping station operators do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a gas compressor and gas pumping station operators make?

BLS national median annual wage: $71,510 (May 2024 in our extract).

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$58,590
25th percentile$59,348
Median (50th)$61,735
75th percentile$115,194
90th percentile$118,871

What education do you need?

For Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).

These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is gas compressor and gas pumping station operators in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 13.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 84.2%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 239.4%.

Current U.S. headcount: 5,110.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do gas compressor and gas pumping station operatorss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry5,11021.3%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only4,97020.7%
Pipeline Transportation1,9708.2%
Transportation and Warehousing1,9708.2%
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas1,8207.6%
Wholesale Trade7803.2%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators workforce.

Employment Over Time

5,110 Workforce in 2023

The Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$76,352 Average Wage

In 2023, Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators earned an average of $76,352.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Salary distribution for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Employment Growth Projections

13.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

478 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 84.2%

882 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 239.4%

This occupation is projected to grow at 13.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Wage Trends by Industry

29.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Total, All Industry: 29.4% growth (Current: $76,352)

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • TX: 1,880 employees, $76,680 avg wage
  • PA: 430 employees, $63,720 avg wage
  • OH: 210 employees, $87,790 avg wage
  • AR: 210 employees, $58,310 avg wage
  • FL: 120 employees, $40,500 avg wage
  • OK: 120 employees, $55,010 avg wage
  • IN: 100 employees, $91,140 avg wage
  • KS: 90 employees, $99,000 avg wage
  • MI: 90 employees, $98,720 avg wage
  • AK: 80 employees, $101,140 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 110 employees, $74,160 avg wage
  • Pittsburgh, PA: 70 employees, $68,950 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 40 employees, $77,500 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 30 employees, $97,210 avg wage
  • Cleveland, OH: 30 employees, $88,650 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Diversity

Demographic information on Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators in 2023 was 5,110 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators workers.

Education level distribution for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Skills

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.

Required skills for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Chemistry.

Knowledge areas required for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Finger Dexterity, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision.

Required abilities for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

Daily Activities

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Most important work activities for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators.

About

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators

The average yearly wage for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators was $76,352 in 2023.

SOC Code

53-7071 - Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators reports an average salary of $76,352.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,110 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 13.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.