Gas Plant Operators
Machines can already do 32% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 70%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Gas Plant Operators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 32% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 7% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 70% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 18,030 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $87,820 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 67% for contact with people.
- Also called: Compressor Technician (Compressor Tech), Engine Room Operator, Gas Controller, Gas Dispatcher.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor equipment functioning, observe temperature, level, and flow gauges, and perform regular unit checks to ensure that all equipment is operating as it should | 20% | 30% to 75% | |
| Distribute or process gas for utility companies or industrial plants, using panel boards, control boards, and semi-automatic equipment | 12% | 30% to 75% | |
| Control operation of compressors, scrubbers, evaporators, and refrigeration equipment to liquefy, compress, or regasify natural gas | 9% | 30% to 75% | |
| Record, review, and compile operations records, test results, and gauge readings such as temperatures, pressures, concentrations, and flows | 9% | 85% to 97% | |
| Adjust temperature, pressure, vacuum, level, flow rate, or transfer of gas to maintain processes at required levels or to correct problems | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using hand tools, or request that repair and maintenance work be performed | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Control equipment to regulate flow and pressure of gas to feedlines of boilers, furnaces, and related steam-generating or heating equipment | 5% | 30% to 75% | |
| Collaborate with other operators to solve unit problems | 5% | 25% to 55% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills gas plant operators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,890
- Medical Equipment Repairers50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $61,660
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $73,900
- Logging Equipment Operators60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,740
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Gas Plant Operators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of gas plant operators?
Machines can do 32% of the tasks of gas plant operators today and 70% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-8092.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Gas Plant Operators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/gas-plant-operators/