Occupations · Transportation and Material Moving
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 53-7071.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 64% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $72,030 | 110 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $68,590 | 70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,900 | 40 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $98,810 | 30 |
| Cleveland, OH | $90,490 | 30 |
| Greeley, CO | $57,530 | — |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $60,320 | — |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $88,080 | — |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
- Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
- 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.
- Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.
- Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures.
- Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, and replace filters and gaskets, using hand tools.
- Maintain each station by performing general housekeeping duties such as painting, washing, and cleaning.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 2
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| gas station operator | 3133.1.5 | close |
| gas processing plant operator | 3134.2 | close |
| gas processing plant control room operator | 3134.1 | close |
| gas transmission system operator | 4323.8 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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