Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers Salary: $56,552 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 12,600 pump operators, except wellhead pumpers nationally earn a mean of $56,552. Employment in the series shown rose about 43% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.0% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers: what the data shows
Common questions about pump operators, except wellhead pumpers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-7072.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 12,600 workers.
What does a pump operators, except wellhead pumpers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a pump operators, except wellhead pumpers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $60,020 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,752 |
| 25th percentile | $40,675 |
| Median (50th) | $52,598 |
| 75th percentile | $64,706 |
| 90th percentile | $85,284 |
What education do you need?
For Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers, 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, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is pump operators, except wellhead pumpers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 33.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 79.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 12,600.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do pump operators, except wellhead pumperss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 12,600 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 12,170 | 19.2% |
| Construction | 3,300 | 5.2% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,610 | 4.1% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,520 | 4.0% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 2,280 | 3.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers workforce.
Employment Over Time
12,600 Workforce in 2023
The Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$56,552 Average Wage
In 2023, Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers earned an average of $56,552.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Salary distribution for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Employment Growth Projections
6.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,281 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 33.8%
5,729 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 79.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 6.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -1.1% growth (Current: $65,289)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
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: 4,280 employees, $62,860 avg wage
- LA: 1,510 employees, $60,530 avg wage
- CA: 1,270 employees, $55,210 avg wage
- FL: 760 employees, $59,110 avg wage
- OR: 480 employees, $62,270 avg wage
- PA: 330 employees, $60,850 avg wage
- NC: 310 employees, $44,590 avg wage
- NJ: 290 employees, $78,480 avg wage
- WY: 240 employees, $75,750 avg wage
- ND: 230 employees, $77,440 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,540 employees, $65,280 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 560 employees, $65,820 avg wage
- Midland, TX: 460 employees, $57,220 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 290 employees, $77,080 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 260 employees, $69,400 avg wage
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA: 240 employees, $45,180 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 220 employees, $59,960 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 140 employees, $61,380 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 130 employees, $61,550 avg wage
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 120 employees, $61,130 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers in 2023 was 12,600 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
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 Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers workers.
Education level distribution for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Skills
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking.
Required skills for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers include Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Mathematics, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Perceptual Speed, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
Daily Activities
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment.
Most important work activities for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers.
About
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
The average yearly wage for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers was $56,552 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-7072 - Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers reports an average salary of $56,552.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 12,600 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 6.0%, 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.