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Gas Plant Operators

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$83400	1300	-8.8%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$83400

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

1300

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-8.8%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Inspect production equipment.
Operate natural gas distribution equipment.
Operate natural gas generation equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
Clean production equipment.
Maintain production or processing equipment.
Repair production equipment or tools.
Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
Diagnose equipment malfunctions.
Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Analyze test results.
Signal others to coordinate work activities.
Direct operational or production activities.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should.
Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment.
Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas.
Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment.
Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows.
Determine causes of abnormal pressure variances, and make corrective recommendations, such as installation of pipes to relieve overloading.
Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems.
Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems.
Monitor transportation and storage of flammable and other potentially dangerous products to ensure that safety guidelines are followed.
Start and shut down plant equipment.
Read logsheets to determine product demand and disposition, or to detect malfunctions.
Contact maintenance crews when necessary.
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.
Clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using hand tools, or request that repair and maintenance work be performed.
Signal or direct workers who tend auxiliary equipment.
Control fractioning columns, compressors, purifying towers, heat exchangers, and related equipment to extract nitrogen and oxygen from air.
Calculate gas ratios to detect deviations from specifications, using testing apparatus.
Operate construction equipment to install and maintain gas distribution systems.
Change charts in recording meters.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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