AI exposure Transportation and material moving
Will AI replace pump operators?
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers. US occupation 53-7072.
The reading
0.0%
of the time pump operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of pump operators' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for pump operatorsWhat pump operators no longer do alone
O*NET lists 14 tasks for pump operators. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
14 of the 14 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.Core task
- Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.Core task
- Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.Core task
- 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.Core task
- 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.Core task
- Read operating schedules or instructions or receive verbal orders to determine amounts to be pumped.Core task
Show the other 8
- Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.Core task
- 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.Core task
- Test materials and solutions, using testing equipment.Core task
- Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.Core task
- Add chemicals and solutions to tanks to ensure that specifications are met.
- Collect and deliver sample solutions for laboratory analysis.
- Pump two or more materials into one tank to blend mixtures.
- Tend auxiliary equipment such as water treatment and refrigeration units, and heat exchangers.
How that compares
Among the 44 transportation and material moving occupations, pump operators rank 30. The group averages 0.6%, and its most exposed job is Passenger Attendants at 11.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Level with 0.0%
- 346Psychiatric Technicians 0.0%
- 346Psychiatrists 0.0%
- 346Psychologists, All Other 0.0%
What this does and does not mean
Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.
A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.
Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.