51 Series · SOC 51-8093
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $96,710
- Median / year
- $115,880
- Top 10% earn
- -2.8%
- Growth '23–'33
- 33,160
- US workers
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn a median of $96,710 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $96,710, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $57,110 (10th percentile) to $115,880 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 33,160 US workers. Alaska pays the most ($124,530), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn a median of $96,710, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 81% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #4 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 2.8% by 2033.
- $96,710
- Median annual wage
- Top 19%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #4 of 105
- in Production
- 2.0×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Alaska at $124,530. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (SOC 51-8093) pays a national median of $96,710 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $57,110 at the 10th percentile to $115,880 at the 90th, with a mean of $90,630 indicating a compressed distribution clustered near the median. An estimated 33,160 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 69 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -2.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 3,200 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Alaska pays the highest state median at $124,530, which is +29% above the national figure. The top metro is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $117,660 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$96,710
per year
Median Hourly
$46.50/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$90,630
average
Employment
33,160
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$96,710 Top 19% higher than 81% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers sits on the slower-growing side at -2.8% growth and $96,710 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-2.8%
Declining
Annual Openings
3,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
- ▸ Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
- ▸ Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.
- ▸ Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.
- ▸ Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
- ▸ Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.
- ▸ Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.
- ▸ Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$57,110
25th Percentile
$77,510
Median
$96,710
75th Percentile
$106,320
90th Percentile
$115,880
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $124,530 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Louisiana | $106,640 | +10% above national |
| 3 | Utah | $105,980 | +10% above national |
| 4 | Ohio | $105,150 | +9% above national |
| 5 | New Jersey | $104,540 | +8% above national |
| 6 | Washington | $103,620 | +7% above national |
| 7 | California | $103,250 | +7% above national |
| 8 | Illinois | $102,890 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Minnesota | $101,910 | +5% above national |
| 10 | Kansas | $101,880 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Wyoming | $100,350 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Montana | $98,310 | +2% above national |
| 13 | Tennessee | $96,730 | same as national |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $95,140 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Hawaii | $94,900 | 2% below national |
| 16 | Colorado | $93,750 | 3% below national |
| 17 | North Dakota | $93,130 | 4% below national |
| 18 | Iowa | $90,160 | 7% below national |
| 19 | New York | $88,880 | 8% below national |
| 20 | Arkansas | $86,580 | 10% below national |
| 21 | Texas | $84,100 | 13% below national |
| 22 | Michigan | $84,030 | 13% below national |
| 23 | West Virginia | $83,910 | 13% below national |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $83,870 | 13% below national |
| 25 | Missouri | $80,960 | 16% below national |
| 26 | North Carolina | $80,060 | 17% below national |
| 27 | Kentucky | $78,670 | 19% below national |
| 28 | Maryland | $78,580 | 19% below national |
| 29 | Mississippi | $75,180 | 22% below national |
| 30 | New Mexico | $74,340 | 23% below national |
| 31 | Alabama | $73,510 | 24% below national |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $71,450 | 26% below national |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $70,050 | 28% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $67,420 | 30% below national |
| 35 | Maine | $65,150 | 33% below national |
| 36 | Florida | $63,480 | 34% below national |
| 37 | Nevada | $62,420 | 35% below national |
| 38 | Arizona | $60,070 | 38% below national |
| 39 | Virginia | $58,970 | 39% below national |
| 40 | South Carolina | $58,160 | 40% below national |
| 41 | Georgia | $57,180 | 41% below national |
| 42 | Connecticut | $56,880 | 41% below national |
| 43 | Puerto Rico | $44,470 | 54% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 69 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $117,660 | +22% above national |
| 2 | Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $114,040 | +18% above national |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $111,370 | +15% above national |
| 4 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $109,390 | +13% above national |
| 5 | Baton Rouge, LA | $108,420 | +12% above national |
| 6 | Toledo, OH | $107,520 | +11% above national |
| 7 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $107,490 | +11% above national |
| 8 | Wichita, KS | $107,260 | +11% above national |
| 9 | Tulsa, OK | $107,170 | +11% above national |
| 10 | Ogden, UT | $105,980 | +10% above national |
| 11 | Bellingham, WA | $105,640 | +9% above national |
| 12 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $105,580 | +9% above national |
| 13 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $104,540 | +8% above national |
| 14 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $103,250 | +7% above national |
| 15 | Billings, MT | $103,110 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Vallejo, CA | $103,040 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $101,910 | +5% above national |
| 18 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $101,880 | +5% above national |
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $101,600 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $101,320 | +5% above national |
| 21 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $100,660 | +4% above national |
| 22 | Casper, WY | $99,500 | +3% above national |
| 23 | Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $99,460 | +3% above national |
| 24 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $98,770 | +2% above national |
| 25 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $97,530 | +1% above national |
| 26 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $97,210 | +1% above national |
| 27 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $96,730 | same as national |
| 28 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $94,900 | 2% below national |
| 29 | Greeley, CO | $93,750 | 3% below national |
| 30 | Columbus, OH | $93,600 | 3% below national |
| 31 | Anchorage, AK | $92,930 | 4% below national |
| 32 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $92,760 | 4% below national |
| 33 | West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $91,470 | 5% below national |
| 34 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $86,890 | 10% below national |
| 35 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $86,860 | 10% below national |
| 36 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $86,580 | 10% below national |
| 37 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $86,240 | 11% below national |
| 38 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $85,220 | 12% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma City, OK | $84,750 | 12% below national |
| 40 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $84,100 | 13% below national |
| 41 | High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | $83,460 | 14% below national |
| 42 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $82,920 | 14% below national |
| 43 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $81,490 | 16% below national |
| 44 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $81,090 | 16% below national |
| 45 | Midland, TX | $80,540 | 17% below national |
| 46 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $80,240 | 17% below national |
| 47 | Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $80,150 | 17% below national |
| 48 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $80,010 | 17% below national |
| 49 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $79,840 | 17% below national |
| 50 | Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $79,790 | 17% below national |
| 51 | Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $79,290 | 18% below national |
| 52 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,260 | 18% below national |
| 53 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $78,670 | 19% below national |
| 54 | Corpus Christi, TX | $78,630 | 19% below national |
| 55 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $78,350 | 19% below national |
| 56 | Lubbock, TX | $77,240 | 20% below national |
| 57 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $77,030 | 20% below national |
| 58 | Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $74,890 | 23% below national |
| 59 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $72,930 | 25% below national |
| 60 | Pittsburgh, PA | $72,190 | 25% below national |
| 61 | Jacksonville, FL | $72,050 | 25% below national |
| 62 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $70,220 | 27% below national |
| 63 | Farmington, NM | $70,080 | 28% below national |
| 64 | Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $68,670 | 29% below national |
| 65 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $67,940 | 30% below national |
| 66 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $66,350 | 31% below national |
| 67 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $58,330 | 40% below national |
| 68 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $57,080 | 41% below national |
| 69 | Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $42,320 | 56% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers make? ▼
What state pays Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers? ▼
Is Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers a good career? ▼
How does Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $106,320/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Alaska leads at $124,530/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.