Career Overview
Tend, control, or operate power-driven, stationary, or portable pumps and manifold systems to transfer gases, oil, other liquids, slurries, or powdered materials to and from various vessels and processes.
Also Known As
- Outside Operator
- Pipeline Operator
- Pumper
- Tank Farm Operator
Alternate Job Titles
- Acid Loader
- Acid Pump Operator
- Airveyor Operator
- Boom Pump Operator
- Booster Station Operator
- Brewery Pumper
- Caustic Pump Operator
- Chemical Pumper
- Concrete Boom Pump Operator
- Concrete Operator
- Concrete Pump Operator
- Day Light Relief Operator
- Fermenting Cellars Receiver
- Fluid Pump Operator
- Gas Transfer Operator
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Monitor gauges and flowmeters and inspect equipment to ensure that tank levels, temperatures, chemical amounts, and pressures are at specified levels, reporting abnormalities as necessary.
- Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.
- Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage.
- Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.
- Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.
- Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.
- Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts.
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Operations Monitoring
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Perceptual Speed
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Control Precision
- Written Expression
- Information Ordering
- Flexibility of Closure
- Written Comprehension
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Relationships
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable wrench sets
- Air compressors
- Air hammers
- Auxiliary cooling systems
- Boom trucks
- Calibrated well rods
- Chlorine analyzers
- Concrete boom pumps
- Concrete line pumps
- Cordless drills
- Crane trucks
- Digital densitometers
- Digital flowmeters
- Dump trucks
- Fire pumper apparatus
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Contaminants
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $37,850 |
| Median | $60,020 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $89,660 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 12,600
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $71,510
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $97,540
Wellhead Pumpers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $70,010
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $49,500
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $75,190
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.