SOC 53-7073.00

    Wellhead Pumpers

    Operate power pumps and auxiliary equipment to produce flow of oil or gas from wells in oil field.

    Median pay
    $69,960
    Growth
    -2.0%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    1,700
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $44,100
    Median
    $69,960
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $98,170
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    17,990 people work in this occupation.

    What wellhead pumpers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Operate power pumps and auxiliary equipment to produce flow of oil or gas from wells in oil field.

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

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    99 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    21 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    2 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    13 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    55 / 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

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    84
    Documenting/Recording Information
    82
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    78
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    78
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    78
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    77
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    77
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    74
    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    73
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    71
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Repairing
    • Troubleshooting
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Speaking

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • Mathematics
    • Administrative
    • Chemistry
    • Production and Processing
    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administration and Management
    • Design

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Near Vision
    • Control Precision
    • Information Ordering
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Reaction Time
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Perceptual Speed

    Work styles

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

    Also called

    Field Operator · Gas Lease Pumper · Gas Well Pumper · Lease Attendant · Lease Operator · Oil Field Operator · Oil Field Plant Operator · Oil Field Pumper · Oil Field Technician · Oil Field Worker

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What wellhead pumpers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications 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

    Build my pathway plan

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

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    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.