Wellhead Pumpers
What Wellhead Pumpers Do
Operate power pumps and auxiliary equipment to produce flow of oil or gas from wells in oil field.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 3.7/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.0/5
- Administrativeimportance 2.9/5
- Chemistryimportance 2.8/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.8/5
- English Languageimportance 2.7/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.6/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.5/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Exposed to Contaminants5.0/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment5.0/5
- Telephone Conversations5.0/5
- Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.8/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Agricultural Equipment Operators96% skill match
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders95% skill match
- Pile Driver Operators95% skill match
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians94% skill match
- Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders93% skill match
- Power Plant Operators93% skill match
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators93% skill match
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.9/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
- Repairingimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Self-Control
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where wellhead pumpers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Midland, TX117.60× national avg
- 2Odessa, TX35.79× national avg
- 3Minot, ND33.26× national avg
- 4San Angelo, TX25.36× national avg
- 5Farmington, NM14.65× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead PumpersLateral Move
- Power Plant OperatorsCareer Change
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station OperatorsLateral Move
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and GasCareer Change