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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Gas Plant Operators

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

Also called: Compressor Technician (Compressor Tech), Engine Room Operator, Gas Controller, Gas Dispatcher, Gas Plant Operator, Gas Resource Control Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$104,770
$50.37/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
210
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−7.4%
40 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$75,600$95,870$104,770$110,240$121,190

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure29 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 38
  • Language-model AIOE 31
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 18

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is some. Automated process controls may reduce how much operators monitor and approve by hand, and Massachusetts jobs are projected to shrink. Tasks like logging readings may change, while controlling compressors and responding to equipment issues still need people.

Likely to change

  • Monitoring gauges and unit checks
  • Compiling operations records and readings

Still relies on people

  • Controlling compressors and gas pressure
  • Responding to equipment issues and safety needs

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as improved process controls require less direct management, monitoring, and approval from operators due to automation.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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