Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn an average annual salary of $105,634, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.

Key Statistics

3,640
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$105,634
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers workforce.

Employment Over Time

3,640 Workforce in 2023

The Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$105,634 Average Wage

In 2023, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earned an average of $105,634.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Salary distribution for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Employment Growth Projections

-2.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

12,286 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -12.2%

10,782 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -23.0%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Wage Trends by Industry

1.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 3,360 employees, $107,678 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,710 employees, $110,077 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 980 employees, $118,834 avg wage
  • Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 250 employees, $88,562 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 140 employees, $70,413 avg wage
  • Vallejo MSA: 120 employees, $111,236 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 90 employees, $77,297 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 30 employees, $78,549 avg wage
  • El Centro MSA: 20 employees, $55,136 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 10 employees, $73,347 avg wage
  • Stockton-Lodi MSA: 10 employees, $61,343 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Diversity

Demographic information on Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in 2023 was 3,640 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.

Common majors for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers workers.

Education level distribution for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Skills

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving.

Required skills for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers include Production and Processing, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Administration and Management, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers include Near Vision, Information Ordering, Flexibility of Closure, Perceptual Speed, Problem Sensitivity.

Required abilities for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Daily Activities

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Most important work activities for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

About

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

The average yearly wage for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers was $105,634 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-8093 - Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers reports an average salary of $105,634, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,640 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.