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.
3,510 people do this job in the US. $77,320 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 45%
- 0%
- 55%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 4%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 44%. Today's estimate: 45%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 13 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.Done daily by most who do it. | 14% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.Done daily by most who do it. | 13% | 25 min13 min to 1.7 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 12% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 11% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Maintain each station by performing general housekeeping duties such as painting, washing, and cleaning.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Submit daily reports on facility operations.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 33 min17 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 8 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, and replace filters and gaskets, using hand tools.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Gas Plant Operators14% now, 16% by 2028
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers42% now, 47% by 2028
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators13% now, 22% by 2028
- Power Plant Operators41% now, 45% by 2028
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers29% now, 29% by 2028
- Chemical Plant and System Operators22% now, 22% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).