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Transport & Logistics · Updated Aug 2026

Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
57/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
42/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage86%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.High
69
Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.High
69
Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.High
69
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.High
68
Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.High
66
Read operating schedules or instructions or receive verbal orders to determine amounts to be pumped.High
67
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.High
45
Add chemicals and solutions to tanks to ensure that specifications are met.Medium
69
Tend auxiliary equipment such as water treatment and refrigeration units, and heat exchangers.Medium
66
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.High
22
Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.High
20
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.69
  2. Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.69
  3. Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.69
  4. Add chemicals and solutions to tanks to ensure that specifications are met.69
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.01
  2. 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.02
  3. Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.03
  4. Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.04
  5. Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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AI risk 49

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Closely related work

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency65
Physical dependency71
Adoption pressure46
Labour-market resilience68
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →