Gas Plant Operators
Also called: Gas Controller, Gas Dispatcher, Gas Plant Operator, Plant OperatorDistribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 6.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous plant and system operators”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 80% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $77,120 | $64,750 to $82,880 | not published |
| Alaska | not published | not published | 220 |
| Arizona | $104,600 | $92,920 to $112,510 | 140 |
| Arkansas | $100,870 | $82,990 to $100,870 | 400 |
| California | $130,220 | $104,100 to $134,800 | 800 |
| Colorado | $98,080 | $85,070 to $100,200 | 570 |
| Connecticut | $109,060 | $92,070 to $110,880 | not published |
| Florida | $67,170 | $57,240 to $76,450 | 130 |
| Georgia | $81,220 | $50,520 to $106,000 | 110 |
| Idaho | $79,280 | $76,290 to $93,530 | 50 |
| Illinois | $97,810 | $74,420 to $105,930 | 530 |
| Indiana | $85,790 | $78,530 to $91,980 | 280 |
| Iowa | $92,970 | $82,510 to $96,800 | 480 |
| Kansas | $80,760 | $76,150 to $88,720 | 350 |
| Kentucky | $63,070 | $50,360 to $81,640 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $108,350 | $73,230 to $108,350 | 800 |
| Maine | $93,990 | $82,100 to $100,920 | 30 |
| Maryland | $102,950 | $86,520 to $107,940 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $103,830 | $98,880 to $111,010 | 340 |
| Michigan | $100,500 | $97,110 to $109,530 | 540 |
| Minnesota | $100,500 | $82,570 to $100,550 | 360 |
| Mississippi | $81,600 | $77,540 to $82,700 | 340 |
| Missouri | $87,820 | $87,820 to $87,820 | 220 |
| Montana | $83,630 | $67,590 to $100,490 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $87,790 | $84,350 to $91,320 | 270 |
| New Jersey | $110,900 | $104,410 to $123,750 | 190 |
| New Mexico | $97,660 | $82,010 to $100,010 | 300 |
| New York | $98,390 | $80,180 to $118,860 | 240 |
| North Carolina | $81,460 | $71,200 to $103,580 | 320 |
| North Dakota | $96,760 | $76,590 to $116,290 | 770 |
| Ohio | $82,130 | $61,310 to $96,620 | 570 |
| Oklahoma | $78,310 | $64,190 to $86,310 | 970 |
| Oregon | $109,760 | $102,110 to $118,640 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,810 | $76,550 to $95,720 | 1,370 |
| South Carolina | $67,580 | $51,340 to $84,270 | 280 |
| South Dakota | $101,450 | $99,780 to $101,450 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $66,560 | $64,980 to $69,670 | 200 |
| Texas | $79,910 | $77,640 to $94,360 | 2,550 |
| Utah | $98,300 | $83,800 to $100,810 | 160 |
| Virginia | $86,500 | $80,860 to $99,720 | 400 |
| Washington | $83,650 | $53,060 to $108,610 | 120 |
| West Virginia | $82,600 | $70,950 to $90,140 | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $85,080 | $68,060 to $96,680 | 150 |
| Wyoming | $81,550 | $75,500 to $100,180 | 480 |
Nationally: $87,820. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows. | Not published |
| Not much | Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas. | Not published |
| AI + software | Contact maintenance crews when necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| Not much | Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading. | Not published |
| Not much | Start and shut down plant equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Read logsheets to determine product demand and disposition, or to detect malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor transportation and storage of flammable and other potentially dangerous products to ensure that safety guidelines are followed. | Not published |
| AI + software | Signal or direct workers who tend auxiliary equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using hand tools, or request that repair and maintenance work be performed. | Not published |
| Not much | Test gas, chemicals, and air during processing to assess factors such as purity and moisture content, and to detect quality problems or gas or chemical leaks. | Not published |
| Not much | Calculate gas ratios to detect deviations from specifications, using testing apparatus. | Not published |
| Not much | Control fractioning columns, compressors, purifying towers, heat exchangers, and related equipment to extract nitrogen and oxygen from air. | Not published |
| Not much | Change charts in recording meters. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate construction equipment to install and maintain gas distribution systems. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #42 Diagnose system or equipment problems
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate energy production or distribution equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Diagnose system or equipment problems | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems |
Show all 16 activities
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for gas plant operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 4,069 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Construction Managers High +9.1% 5%
- 3 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 4%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 3,360 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 58% high school
- 31% postsecondary certificate
- 11% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 5% less than high school
- 44% high school
- 25% some college
- 13% associate's
- 12% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous plant and system operators” · 513 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous plant and system operators”
1 program: Petroleum Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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