Operate steam, gas, electric motor, or internal combustion engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress, or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.
U.S. Workers
5,110
Median Salary
$71,510
10-Year Growth
-1.3%
Annual Openings
600
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
13 of 13 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Monitor meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
AI: Fully automatable - Remote sensors and monitoring systems with AI can continuously read meters and pressure gauges and detect consumption and pressure/temperature variations.
Record instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
AI: Fully automatable - Instrument readings and operational changes can be fully automated via sensors, SCADA/telemetry and automatic logging systems that AI can aggregate and record.
Adjust valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
AI: Fully automatable - Closed‑loop control systems and AI optimization can autonomously adjust valves and equipment to achieve specified performance in modern facilities.
Operate power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
AI: Fully automatable - Operation of power‑driven pumps (start/stop, speed/flow regulation) is routinely automated by controllers and AI systems integrated with plant controls.
Submit daily reports on facility operations.
AI: Fully automatable - Daily operational reports can be fully automated by extracting telemetry and logs and using AI to generate and submit formatted reports.
Read gas meters, and maintain records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.
AI: Fully automatable - Meter reading and recordkeeping are fully automatable using AMR/AMI and telemetry systems combined with AI data processing.
Respond to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
AI: Partial - Control systems can autonomously adjust equipment for many known conditions, but complex troubleshooting and coordinating human operators still require human judgment, so this is only partially automatable.
Move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
AI: Partial - Starting equipment can be automated where actuators and remote controls exist, but AI cannot reliably perform manual physical turning of legacy controls without robotic actuators.
Take samples of gases and conduct chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or send samples to laboratories for analysis.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze inline analyzer output, schedule or route samples to labs and interpret results, but physically taking diverse manual gas samples and hands‑on chemical tests still requires human or specialized hardware.
Turn knobs or switches to regulate pressures.
AI: Partial - Pressure regulation can be fully automated when motorized actuators and control loops exist, but AI cannot turn manual knobs or switches without physical actuators.
Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, and replace filters and gaskets, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule, diagnose and guide maintenance and operate some robotic tools, but routine hands‑on cleaning, lubrication and parts replacement still require human technicians in most settings.
Maintain each station by performing general housekeeping duties such as painting, washing, and cleaning.
AI: Partial - General housekeeping like painting, washing and cleaning is partially automatable with specialized robots, but comprehensive station maintenance remains primarily manual and context‑dependent.
Connect pipelines between pumps and containers that are being filled or emptied.
AI: Partial - Robotic actuators and mechanized couplers can automate pipeline connections in controlled facilities, but variable field conditions and the dexterity/safety complexity of general pipeline work prevent full AI-only automation by 2025.