Occupation salary profile

Wellhead Pumpers

SOC 53-7073 BLS OEWS May 2025

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

National median · BLS
$69,960
▼ -0.07% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$70,370
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
17,990
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Wellhead Pumpers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$44,100
25th$52,330
Median (50th)$69,960
75th$82,200
90th — top pay$98,170

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Wellhead Pumpers

BLS projects employment of wellhead pumpers to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 1,700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
18,400 → 18,000
-400 jobs
Projected change
-2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Wellhead Pumpers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operations Monitoring4.0
  • Operation and Control3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Equipment Maintenance3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Repairing3.1
  • Troubleshooting3.1
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
  • Speaking3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical3.7
  • Mathematics3.0
  • Administrative2.9
  • Chemistry2.8
  • Production and Processing2.8
  • English Language2.7
  • Public Safety and Security2.6
  • Computers and Electronics2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordSAP softwareMoxa softwareOperational databasesSupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What wellhead pumpers do

  • Monitor pumps and flow lines for gas and fluid leaks.
  • Gauge oil and gas production.
  • Start compressor engines and divert oil from storage tanks into compressor units and auxiliary equipment to recover natural gas from oil.
  • Monitor control panels during pumping operations to ensure that materials are being pumped at the correct pressure, density, rate, and concentration.
  • Operate engines and pumps to shut off wells according to production schedules, and to switch flow of oil into storage tanks.
  • Repair gas and oil meters and gauges.
  • Perform routine maintenance on vehicles and equipment.
  • Open valves to return compressed gas to bottoms of specified wells to repressurize them and force oil to surface.
Also called
Field OperatorLease OperatorPumperWell TenderLease AttendantOilfield Plant OperatorWell Field TechnicianWell Head PumperWellhead Pumper
More job titles for this occupation (10)
Gas Lease PumperGas Well PumperOil Field OperatorOil Field Plant OperatorOil Field PumperOil Field TechnicianOil Field WorkerOil PumperOil Well PumperOil Well Service Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.