SOC 53-7071.00

    Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators

    Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors.

    Median pay
    $77,320
    Growth
    +2.1%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    300
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $46,180
    Median
    $77,320
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $99,510
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    3,510 people work in this occupation.

    What gas compressor and gas pumping station operators do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress, or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    88 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    22 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    9 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    8 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    64 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Documenting/Recording Information
    87
    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    87
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    85
    Getting Information
    85
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    84
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    82
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    81
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    81
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    80
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Troubleshooting
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Coordination

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Mechanical
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administration and Management
    • Chemistry
    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Physics

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Near Vision
    • Control Precision
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Information Ordering
    • Reaction Time

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Acetylene Gas Compressor · Air Compressor Technician · Butadiene Compressor Operator · Butane Compressor Operator · Compressor · Compressor Engineer · Compressor Operator · Compressor Station Operator · Compressor Technician · Corrosion Technician

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What gas compressor and gas pumping station operators may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Licenses by state

    13 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

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    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.