Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in the U.S. is $96,710 ($46.50 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $96,710
- Mean annual wage
- $90,630
- Median hourly wage
- $46.50
- Employment
- 33,160
33,160 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,110 | $27.46 |
| 25th percentile | $77,510 | $37.27 |
| Median (50th) | $96,710 | $46.50 |
| 75th percentile | $106,320 | $51.12 |
| 90th percentile | $115,880 | $55.71 |
Highest-paying states for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $124,530 | 370 |
| Louisiana | $106,640 | 3,490 |
| Utah | $105,980 | 600 |
| Ohio | $105,150 | 800 |
| New Jersey | $104,540 | 420 |
| Washington | $103,620 | 930 |
| California | $103,250 | 3,360 |
| Illinois | $102,890 | 1,070 |
| Minnesota | $101,910 | 550 |
| Kansas | $101,880 | 950 |
Lowest-paying states
- Connecticut: $56,880 median annual wage
- Georgia: $57,180 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $58,160 median annual wage
- Virginia: $58,970 median annual wage
- Arizona: $60,070 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings.
- Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.
- Conduct general housekeeping of units, including wiping up oil spills and performing general cleaning duties.
- Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
- Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
- 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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 6.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 38.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 26.5% |
| Associate's degree | 15.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11.5% |
| Master's degree | 1.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
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- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.