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.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
What the work involves
- Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
- Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
- Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.
- Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
- Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
- Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
- Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures.
- Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (64.6% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (36.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (43.6%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 71% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 85% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 72% of occupations compared | 69% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 66% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 58% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 66% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 67% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 96% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: very high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 5.16%
- Contact with others about half the time: 23.39%
- Contact with others most of the time: 31.19%
- Constant contact with others: 40.26%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 46.62%
- Fairly important: 6.44%
- Important: 12.47%
- Very important: 32.92%
- Extremely important: 1.54%
n = 17, Incumbent 07/2017
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 1.51%
- Important: 15.2%
- Very important: 14.55%
- Extremely important: 68.74%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2017
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 6.75%
- Limited freedom: 1.51%
- Some freedom: 46.79%
- A lot of freedom: 44.95%
n = 18, Incumbent 07/2017
Time pressure
- Never: 1.38%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 14.37%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 15.78%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 43.48%
- Every day: 25%
n = 17, Incumbent 07/2017
Conflict situations
- Never: 7.07%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 53.13%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 16.05%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 20.91%
- Every day: 2.84%
n = 16, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 18.64%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 35.65%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 22.46%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 23.24%
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Incumbent 07/2017
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 0%
- Fairly serious: 2.92%
- Serious: 11.39%
- Very serious: 27.39%
- Extremely serious: 58.3%
n = 17, Incumbent 07/2017
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Power Plant Operators
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Gas Plant Operators
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
Closeness 93/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Closeness 92/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 53-7071.00 · SOC 53-7071 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8