Pump Operators
(Except Wellhead Pumpers)

High Risk
Low High

Explore safer careers (4)

Lower estimated automation risk

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
41% automation risk | Moderate Risk
Pays better More jobs
20.2 pts lower View career
Why it fits

Reuses valve, manifold, control, pressure, and troubleshooting knowledge with repair training.

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
43% automation risk | Moderate Risk
Pays better More jobs
18.3 pts lower View career
Why it fits

Applies pressure systems, pumps, gauges, mechanical checks, plant rounds, and safety procedures.

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
38% automation risk | Low Risk
More jobs
22.6 pts lower View career
Why it fits

Builds on pumps, valves, flows, treatment processes, sampling, logs, and system monitoring.

Maintenance Workers, Machinery
53% automation risk | Moderate Risk
More jobs
7.8 pts lower View career
Why it fits

Fits pump operators who troubleshoot equipment and can add mechanical repair skills.

Compare this job with others
or search for another job
Share your results with friends and family.

Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
3.7/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

61% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Decision-making and problem solving

Very important
Why this matters
Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.
Jobs that also use this strength

Thinking creatively

Quite important
Why this matters
Coming up with original ideas and designs—creating new concepts, products, systems, or artistic work. This kind of open-ended invention and taste-based judgment is harder to automate end-to-end than routine, rule-based tasks.
Jobs that also use this strength

Developing objectives and strategies

Quite important
Why this matters
Sets long-term goals and chooses strategies and actions to reach them, weighing tradeoffs and adapting plans as conditions change.
Jobs that also use this strength

What users think

Based on 10 votes

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Pay & outlook

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers was $60,020 ($29 per hour).

The median annual wage for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers was 21.3% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers' job openings is expected to rise 2.6% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly lower range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 12,600 people employed as 'Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 12 thousand people are employed as 'Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers'.

People also viewed

Lawyers Computer Programmers Actors Web Developers Commercial Pilots

What people are saying (0)

Leave a reply about this occupation
0/8000

Job 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-SOC code: 53-7072.00