Production · Holland code RCI

Gas Plant Operators

Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.

Also called: Gas Controller, Gas Dispatcher, Gas Plant Operator, Plant Operator, Compressor Technician (Compressor Tech), Engine Room Operator, Gas Resource Control Operator, Gas System Operator.

O*NET 51-8092.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $87,820; Middle half earn $76,870 to $100,870. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 58% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should.
Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment.
Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.
Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment.
Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows.
Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading.
Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems.
Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.6 / 5
Critical Thinking3.5 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Writing3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Public Safety and Security3.9 / 5
Mechanical3.8 / 5
English Language3.6 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.4 / 5
Mathematics3.2 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic94
Investigative26
Artistic0
Social8
Enterprising21
Conventional70

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

gas processing plant supervisor · DE Aufsichtskraft Erd- und Industriegasanlagen · FR superviseur d’installation de traitement de gaz/superviseuse d’installation de traitement de gaz
gas station operator · DE Steuerer von Gasanlagen/Steuererin von Gasanlagen · FR opérateur/opératrice de station de gaz
gas processing plant control room operator · DE Steuerer Leitstand von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen/Steuerin Leitstand von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen · FR pilote de salle de contrôle d’installation de traitement de gaz
gas processing plant operator · DE Steuerer von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen/Steuerin von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen · FR opérateur d’installations de traitement de gaz/opératrice d’installations de traitement de gaz
gas transmission system operator · DE Fachkraft Gastransport · FR gestionnaire de réseau de transport de gaz
pipeline pump operator · DE Pipelinebediener/Pipelinebedienerin · FR opérateur d’installations de pompage et de pipelines/opératrice d’installations de pompage et de pipelines

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Transport and distribution clerks and assistants (4134)69,500 employed
Chemical and related process operatives (8113)34,100 employed
Production, factory and assembly supervisors (8160)32,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.30. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-8092).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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