What should someone working in “Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 10% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 82% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

US dataswitch to UK

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

signaling other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, controlling or operating manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery and operating auxiliary equipment and controlling multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 10%
changing shape: 8%
staying human: 82%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 24 out of 100 (19–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 24 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

What shifts is recording and compiling operating data: the paper around the work, not the work.

Your week, as this page understands it

Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines. The job title says “petroleum pump system operators”, “refinery operators” or “gaugers”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers is not one task. It is 24 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 10%
changing shape: 8%
staying human: 82%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

3 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Recording and compiling operating data
This is reading one thing and writing another: data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Compiling readings, logs and lab results into records is routine data work software does reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Calculating test result values, using standard formulas
This is reading one thing and writing another: test result values in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Calculate test result values, using standard formulas.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 100 out of 100 (96–100 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out test values from standard formulas is arithmetic that software does faster and more reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Preparing calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oiling products
This is reading one thing and writing another: calculations in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 81 out of 100 (77–85 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Receipt and delivery calculations follow standard measurement rules, which software applies exactly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

2 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Planning movement of products through lines
The software now makes the first pass at movement of products, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Planning product movements through lines and tanks is a scheduling problem software solves well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reading and analyzing specifications, schedules, logs
The software now makes the first pass at specifications, schedules, logs, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Read and analyze specifications, schedules, logs, test results, and laboratory recommendations to determine how to set equipment controls to produce the required qualities and quantities of products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out control settings from specifications, logs and lab results is document and data analysis.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

19 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fixing equipment is hands-on work; only reporting the fault is paperwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Monitoring process indicators, instruments, gauges and meters to detect and report any possible problems
This work happens in the physical world: process indicators, instruments, gauges and meters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Instrument monitoring is heavily automated already, though operators still cover the unit in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Signaling other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps
This work happens in the physical world: other workers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Radio and phone instructions follow set patterns, but they coordinate people working across the site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Starting pumps and open valves or using automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks
This work happens in the physical world: pumps, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Starting pumps and opening valves is physical operation of the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Verifying that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters
This work happens in the physical world: incoming, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking product is flowing through the right meters is a data check, with some physical verification.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 14 tasks

Reading automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: automatic gauges, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Automatic gauges already report flow and tank levels, though gaugers still read some tanks on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Operating control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: control panels, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Control systems already regulate temperature, pressure and flow, with operators supervising from the control room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Coordinating shutdowns and major projects
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles shutdowns and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Coordinate shutdowns and major projects.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 23 out of 100 (16–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Shutdown plans can be drafted, but coordinating one depends on agreement between crews and contractors.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Synchronizing activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: activities, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Synchronize activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Coordinating flow between pumphouses is planning, but it depends on talking with other crews.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Controlling or operating manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: manifold, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Operating manifolds and pumping systems means working the plant itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Operating auxiliary equipment and controlling multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: auxiliary equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running auxiliary equipment and multiple units means hands on controls at the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Performing tests to check the qualities and grades of products
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Perform tests to check the qualities and grades of products, such as assessing levels of bottom sediment, water, and foreign materials in oil samples, using centrifugal testers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running sediment and water tests on samples means handling the sample and the test equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Patrolling units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: units, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Patrol units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks, and to verify that activities and operations are safe, efficient, and in compliance with regulations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Patrolling the units and tanks means walking the site and looking at it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Collecting product samples by turning bleeder valves
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: product samples, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Collect product samples by turning bleeder valves, or by lowering containers into tanks to obtain oil samples.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Taking oil samples from valves and tanks is physical work at the tank.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Inspecting pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Inspect pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves as necessary.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Tightening connections and lubricating valves along a pipeline is hands-on maintenance.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Conducting general housekeeping of units
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: general housekeeping of units, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Conduct general housekeeping of units, including wiping up oil spills and performing general cleaning duties.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Wiping up spills and general cleaning is physical work in the unit.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Lowering thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: thermometers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Lowering a thermometer into a tank means climbing to the tank and doing it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: interiors of processing units, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Clean interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Circulating chemicals to clean a unit's interior is physical plant work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Clamping seals around valves to secure tanks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: seals around valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Clamp seals around valves to secure tanks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Clamping seals around valves is done by hand at the tank.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $96,710a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 33,160in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: test result values in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: recording and compiling operating data and calculating test result values, using standard formulas. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where equipment gets done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 10% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 8% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 82% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 24 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Recording and compiling operating data is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to test result values, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether process indicators, instruments, gauges and meters are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near planning movement of products through lines. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was gas compressor and gas pumping station operators: only about 6% of its durable work is work you already do, it pays 20.0% less and there are far fewer of those jobs than of yours. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 24/100 here, with only 10% of the task list in the top band, and “maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations…, and their equivalent is to move controls and turn valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $77,320 against your $96,710, 20.0% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice. And it is a narrow door: about 3,510 of those jobs against 33,160 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 11% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Gas Plant Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors, and their equivalent is to clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using hand tools, or request that repair and…. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible…, and their equivalent is to monitor material flow or instruments. Across both published task lists that is about 5% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $51,610 against your $96,710, 46.6% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 10% of its task weight, across 24 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like maintaining and repairing equipment or reporting malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Chemical and related process operatives is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Chemical and related process operatives. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

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No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 10% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers launches. Nothing else.

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No Space for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

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We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for petroleum pump system operators / refinery operators / gaugers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 24 official task statements scored for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (United States, SOC 51-8093), 10% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 24 out of 100 (range 19–30, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Calculate test result values, using standard formulas” (100/100, very high); “Prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products” (81/100, very high); “Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses” (69/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers” stay human?: About 82% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Clamp seals around valves to secure tanks” (0/100, minimal); “Clean interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units” (0/100, minimal); “Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 10% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 82% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 24 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.