🔥
Natural Gas Utilities
Kinder Morgan, Enbridge, TC Energy
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
These operators keep gas moving by watching pressure gauges, opening valves, and starting compressors and pumps when conditions change. The work mixes control-room monitoring with hands-on maintenance, and the tradeoff is decent pay for a high-school-entry job versus a small, slightly shrinking field that demands constant attention to safety and equipment performance.
Also known as Gas Compressor OperatorCompressor Station OperatorGas Plant OperatorPump Station OperatorGas Transmission Operator
Median Salary
$71,510
Mean $71,750
U.S. Workforce
~5K
0.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-1.3%
5.4K to 5.3K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~5K workers, with a median annual pay of $71,510 and roughly 0.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 5.4 K in 2024 to 5.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High School Diploma or Equivalent + On-the-Job Training, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Operator Trainee and can progress toward Operations Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and SCADA, HMI & Control Systems, paired with soft skills such as Attention to Detail, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Check gauges, meters, and control screens to make sure pressure, flow, and temperature stay within safe limits.
- Start and stop compressors, pumps, and support equipment by opening valves and using station controls.
- Adjust settings as conditions change so gas keeps moving at the right pressure and volume.
- Take gas samples, run basic quality tests, and send samples to a lab when more detailed analysis is needed.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check gauges, meters, and control screens to make sure pressure, flow, and temperature stay within safe limits.
02 Start and stop compressors, pumps, and support equipment by opening valves and using station controls.
03 Adjust settings as conditions change so gas keeps moving at the right pressure and volume.
04 Take gas samples, run basic quality tests, and send samples to a lab when more detailed analysis is needed.
05 Write up what happened during the shift and file daily operating reports.
06 Clean, lubricate, and fine-tune equipment, and replace worn filters, gaskets, or seals before they cause problems.
Industries That Hire
🛢️
Oil and Gas Pipelines
Energy Transfer, Williams, Enterprise Products Partners
🧪
Industrial Gases and Chemicals
Air Products, Linde, Air Liquide
⚡
Electric and Water Utilities
Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, Southern Company
🏭
Refining and Petrochemicals
Chevron, ExxonMobil, Marathon Petroleum
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can enter with a high school diploma and moderate-term training, which is a lower barrier than many technical jobs.
+
Pay is solid for the education level: the median wage is $71,510 and the mean is $71,750.
+
The work is hands-on and varied, combining monitoring screens, adjusting valves, and doing basic maintenance.
+
The job supports essential infrastructure, so the work has to be done day and night to keep gas moving safely.
+
Even in a small occupation with about 5,110 workers, there are still about 0.6K annual openings, mostly from replacement needs.
Challenges
-
The occupation is projected to dip from 5.4K workers in 2024 to 5.3K in 2034, a -1.3% change, so growth is weak.
-
Only about 0.6K annual openings means competition can be tight, and jobs are often tied to specific regions and employers.
-
The work involves pressurized systems, rotating machinery, and sometimes outdoor stations, so safety mistakes can have serious consequences.
-
Shift work, night coverage, and weather exposure are common, which can make the schedule hard on family life and sleep.
-
Long-term demand can be limited by automation, remote monitoring, and the broader shift in energy markets, which can cap the number of new operator roles.
Career Progression
Operator Trainee
0-2 years
$45K-$59K
Learns safety rules, station checks, and how to read gauges and logs before taking over equipment on their own.
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator
2-6 years
$60K-$79K
Runs compressors and pumps, watches pressures and temperatures, and makes routine adjustments to keep the system stable.
Senior Gas Station Operator THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$80K-$94K
Handles more complex equipment issues, trains newer operators, and responds to off-normal conditions or equipment alarms.
Operations Supervisor
10-15 years
$95K-$125K
Oversees multiple stations or shifts, coordinates maintenance, and makes sure operations meet safety and regulatory requirements.
Education Paths
High School Diploma or Equivalent + On-the-Job Training
BLS lists this as the typical entry point, and workers usually learn the job through moderate-term on-the-job training.
Some College Courses
A smaller share of workers—11.06%—report some college courses before entering this work, usually to build basic industrial or technical knowledge.
Post-Secondary Certificate
Another 10.45% come in with a post-secondary certificate, often in process technology, industrial maintenance, or a related field.
Industry Certification or Employer Training
A nondegree path is also realistic for this job when employers provide structured station, safety, and equipment training.
Key Skills
Technical
Operations Monitoring 80%
Operation and Control 78%
SCADA, HMI & Control Systems 76%
Pressure Gauges, Flow Meters & Instrumentation 74%
PLC Basics & Remote Monitoring Systems 68%
Equipment Maintenance 62%
Troubleshooting 62%
Soft Skills
Attention to DetailCritical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionCommunicationProblem Solving Job Outlook and Trends
+-1.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 5.4K to 5.3 K over the next decade, representing -1.3% growth. Around 0.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.