Gas Plant Operators
Production
Process and distribute gas by running compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment so pressure and flow stay at required levels. Panel boards and gauges for temperature, level, and flow are watched, and regular unit checks confirm that equipment is operating as it should. Adjustments cover pressure, vacuum, transfer rates, and feed to boilers or furnaces; abnormal pressure is traced and relief measures, such as added piping, may be recommended. Records compile temperatures, concentrations, and other readings, and operators work together when a unit goes wrong. Fits people who prefer tracking temperatures and pressures, regulating pipeline flow, and working through unit problems with other operators.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$87'820
Median Wage Market Position
$87'820
What you might do
- Process and distribute gas from control boards
- Compress, liquefy, or regasify natural gas
- Regulate gas pressure feeding boilers and furnaces
- Check temperature, level, and flow gauges
- Trace causes of abnormal pressure changes
- Record temperatures, pressures, and flow readings
Skills that matter
- Controlling compressors to hold pipeline pressure
- Checking temperature, level, and flow gauges
- Finding causes of abnormal pressure
- Liquefying, compressing, or regasifying natural gas
- Recording temperatures, pressures, and flows
- Working with other operators on unit problems
AI & the future of this role
Compressor and pressure control can lean on automated systems that may absorb more routine monitoring over time. Field response, infrastructure reliability, and safety-critical decisions under shifting demand still tend to keep skilled operators in the mix.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details