Will AI replace pump operators?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 52m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 4h 8m (52%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.3% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 3h 52m of a typical shift. 6 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Monitor gauges and flowmeters and inspect equipment to ensure that tank levels, temperatures, chemical amounts, and pressures are at specified levels, reporting abnormalities as necessary. (1h 59m a shift; e.g. ANYmal (ANYbotics), in use)
• Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials. (1h 8m a shift; e.g. Honeywell Experion Movement Control (Blending and Movement suite), in use)
• Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts. (34m a shift; e.g. Spot with Enhanced Autonomy Payload (Boston Dynamics / MFE Inspection Solutions), in use)
• Pump two or more materials into one tank to blend mixtures. (11m a shift; e.g. Yokogawa CENTUM VP oil movement system / in-line blending distributed control (Bapco refinery), in use)

4h 8m of a typical shift, or 52%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times. (45m a shift)
• Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage. (34m a shift)
• Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances. (34m a shift)
• Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools. (34m a shift)
• Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment. (34m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 90% work in very hot or cold conditions at least weekly
• 83% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 81% work outdoors in all weather every day

On Indeed, job postings in the Loading & Stocking sector are at 109% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $61,770 a year ($29.70 an hour), 21% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $39,420 and $91,820 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 10,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 9,780 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 668th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 10,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 61% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Troubleshooting, Monitoring
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 8m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (2h 42m touched, $59k median pay)
• Wellhead Pumpers (2h 47m touched, $70k median pay)
• Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators (46m touched, $77k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 10 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.