Gas Compressor Station Operator
Gas Compressor Station Operator scores 81/100 on this site's structural exposure measure, one of the highest in this site's utilities dataset, but its BLS growth figure — Decline category, roughly flat to slightly down through 2034 — deserves the same disclosure this site gives other declining-but-still-human-gated utility roles: much of the routine monitoring half of this job is already SCADA-driven, and some compressor stations, including examples in Brazil's TBG pipeline network, now run with only a small on-site maintenance crew supporting a remote control center.
We have not ingested real-world usage data for this occupation yet. We show a band only where genuine data exists, rather than estimate one.
What a gas compressor station operator actually does
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators run the equipment that keeps natural gas and other pipeline products moving at the pressure a pipeline network needs to function — starting, stopping, and adjusting compressor engines and pumps, reading pressure and flow gauges, and monitoring SCADA displays that show conditions across a segment of pipeline.
Much of a shift involves watching instrumentation and logging readings, but the job also requires physically walking the station: checking for gas odor or leaks, listening for unusual engine sounds, greasing and adjusting mechanical equipment, and responding immediately, hands-on, if a pressure excursion or equipment fault threatens to shut down a pipeline segment or create a safety hazard.
Compressor stations handle flammable, high-pressure gas, so operators work under strict operator-qualification and safety procedures, and many stations require an operator to be able to reach the site quickly even when routine monitoring happens remotely from a control center.
Entry typically requires only a high school diploma, followed by months of structured on-the-job training and an employer-run qualification program covering each specific task the operator will perform unsupervised — a federally mandated framework, not an optional company policy, because compressor-station equipment failures carry real explosion and pipeline-disruption risk.
Why it reads this way
Gas Compressor Station Operator scores 81/100 on this site's structural exposure measure, one of the highest in this site's utilities dataset, but its BLS growth figure — Decline category, roughly flat to slightly down through 2034 — deserves the same disclosure this site gives other declining-but-still-human-gated utility roles: much of the routine monitoring half of this job is already SCADA-driven, and some compressor stations, including examples in Brazil's TBG pipeline network, now run with only a small on-site maintenance crew supporting a remote control center.
Federal rule also allows a station to count as legally 'attended' if a nearby control center can respond quickly, per a 1992 PHMSA interpretation letter, meaning remote monitoring already substitutes for some physical presence.
What remains firmly human-gated is the part that actually prevents pipeline failures: PHMSA's Operator Qualification program (49 CFR Part 192 Subpart N) requires individuals to be evaluated and qualified, by name, before performing unsupervised 'covered tasks,' with real enforcement teeth — PHMSA assessed a $431,400 penalty against one operator for OQ violations.
No commercial system performs the hands-on mechanical repair, leak response, or emergency shutdown a compressor station requires when something actually goes wrong, which is the task content the job's high structural score is really measuring.
Skills this role draws on
We don't yet have task-by-task time-share data for this occupation, so we can't show which specific tasks carry the exposure score above. This is the real skill set instead.
Typical salary range (USD)
$46,180–$99,510
Average: $77,320/yr
Range source: BLS OEWS wage data via O*NET OnLine (2025 release), SOC 53-7071.00 'Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators'
Average source: BLS OEWS wage data for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators (53-7071.00) via O*NET OnLine, 2025 wage data (Annual Median Wage)
Related careers
Head-to-head comparisons
Gas Compressor Station Operator scores 81/100, but its Decline-category BLS growth and disclosed remote-monitoring evidence are checked rather than ignored: routine monitoring is already largely SCADA-driven, some compressor stations run with reduced on-site staff supported by a remote control center, and a 1992 PHMSA interpretation letter allows remote response to satisfy 'attended' status. What remains human-gated is PHMSA's federally mandated Operator Qualification program (49 CFR Part 192 Subpart N), which requires individuals to be evaluated and qualified before performing unsupervised covered tasks, backed by real enforcement (a $431,400 penalty in one case), plus the hands-on mechanical repair and emergency response no commercial system performs, as of 2026-08-13.
This is a researched judgment (checklist v1.2), not a statistical measurement — it sits alongside, not instead of, the structural exposure signal above. Next scheduled review: 2027-02-13.
Sources (6)
- https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7071.00
- https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/53-7071.00
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-192/subpart-N
- https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/operator-qualification/operator-qualification
- https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/enforce/documents/52023029/52023029_NoticeofProbableViolation_06212023.pdf
- https://www.apprenticeship.gov
Data sources & methodology
Salary data: BLS OEWS wage data via O*NET OnLine (2025 release), SOC 53-7071.00 'Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators'. Min/max figures represent the 10th–90th percentile annual wage range across the United States. Average figure sourced separately: BLS OEWS wage data for Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators (53-7071.00) via O*NET OnLine, 2025 wage data (Annual Median Wage).
Automation Risk Score: Based on O*NET occupational analysis (53-7071.00) evaluating task complexity, physical requirements, social intelligence, and environmental variability. Methodology based on research from Frey & Osborne (Oxford, 2017).
Growth projections: Decline (-1% or lower), 2024-2034, in a small occupation of about 5,400 workers nationally with roughly 600 total openings projected over the decade, mostly from replacement needs; no standalone BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook narrative exists for this SOC code (O*NET OnLine projections), based on BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.