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The national median salary for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is $61,776 per year ($29.70/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $47,549 and $77,210 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $91,811 per year. There are approximately 9,780 pump operators, except wellhead pumpers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.6%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
13K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Support Activities for Mining
NAICS 213100
2K
$60,730
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors
NAICS 238100
1K
$63,040
Utility System Construction
NAICS 237100
940
$52,700
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only)
NAICS 4240A3
860
$59,120
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
NAICS 486100
700
$80,090
Wage range across top 5 industries: $52,700 to $80,090 (52% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.95
$39,416
P25
$22.86
$47,549
P50MEDIAN
$29.70
$61,776
P75
$37.12
$77,210
P90
$44.14
$91,811
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average pump operators, except wellhead pumpers salary?
The national median salary for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is $61,776 per year ($29.70/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $47,549 and $77,210 annually.
How much do top-earning pump operators, except wellhead pumpers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers is $91,811 per year ($44.14/hr). The 75th percentile is $77,210 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for pump operators, except wellhead pumpers?
Entry-level Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers (10th percentile) earn approximately $39,416 per year ($18.95/hr). The 25th percentile is $47,549 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.