Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Production · SOC 51-8093
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-8093 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 4.1%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $96,710
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 4,300
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -2.8%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 4,967 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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Skills to build:
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~19.5% of this role but only ~4.1% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.
Common titles: Board Operator, Crude Unit Operator, Gauger, Hydrotreater Operator, Operator, Outside Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
- •Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
- •Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.
- •Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.
- •Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Signal others to coordinate work activities.
- •Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- •Maintain production or processing equipment.
- •Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
- •Repair production equipment or tools.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $96,710 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |