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What Does it Take to Be a Wellhead Pumper?
Position Description Operate power pumps and auxiliary equipment to produce flow of oil or gas from wells in oil field.
A Day in the Life of a Wellhead Pumper
- Perform routine maintenance on vehicles and equipment.
- Supervise oil pumpers and other workers engaged in producing oil from wells.
- Unload and assemble pipes and pumping equipment, using hand tools.
- Monitor control panels during pumping operations to ensure that materials are being pumped at the correct pressure, density, rate, and concentration.
- Repair gas and oil meters and gauges.
- Drive trucks to transport high-pressure pumping equipment, and chemicals, fluids, or gases to be pumped into wells.
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What Every Wellhead Pumper Should Know
These are the skills Wellhead Pumpers say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Other Wellhead Pumper Job Titles
- Oil Field Operator
- Oil Field Worker
- Wellhead Pumper
- Head Pumper
- Multi-Skilled Operator
Job Opportunities for Wellhead Pumpers
There were about 11,500 jobs for Wellhead Pumper in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 21.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,500 new jobs for Wellhead Pumper by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,800 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Wellhead Pumper are North Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Montana, or Michigan. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Wellhead Pumper Salary
The salary for Wellhead Pumpers ranges between about $31,280 and $79,930 a year.
Wellhead Pumpers who work in Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana, make the highest salaries.
How much do Wellhead Pumpers make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | $57,940 |
| California | $47,940 |
| Colorado | $69,130 |
| Illinois | $33,730 |
| Kansas | $47,390 |
| Kentucky | $62,670 |
| Louisiana | $47,300 |
| Michigan | $50,590 |
| Mississippi | $58,480 |
| Montana | $61,020 |
| New Mexico | $55,210 |
| North Dakota | $59,030 |
| Ohio | $39,860 |
| Oklahoma | $51,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,300 |
| Texas | $54,690 |
| Utah | $60,010 |
| West Virginia | $42,230 |
| Wyoming | $63,120 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Wellhead Pumpers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Wellhead Pumpers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Data entry software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- SAP software
How to Become a Wellhead Pumper
What education is needed to be a Wellhead Pumper?
What work experience do I need to become a Wellhead Pumper?
Where Wellhead Pumpers Work
Wellhead Pumpers work in the following industries:
Related Careers
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References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.