Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary: $105,634 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 34,860 petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers nationally earn a mean of $105,634. Projections imply about 2.6% annual decline; CA accounts for about 3,360 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers: what the data shows
Common questions about petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers?
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-8093.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 34,860 workers.
What does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include 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, Performing General Physical Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $97,540 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $105,634 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $63,026 |
| 25th percentile | $91,825 |
| Median (50th) | $110,056 |
| 75th percentile | $122,635 |
| 90th percentile | $127,262 |
What education do you need?
For Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -12.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -23.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 34,860.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 34,860 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 34,230 | 19.7% |
| Manufacturing | 21,290 | 12.2% |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 20,420 | 11.8% |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 20,420 | 11.8% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 7,890 | 4.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 126,750 | $58,260 |
| Plant and System Operators, All Other | 15,950 | $61,710 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | 17,840 | $73,540 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers workforce.
Employment Over Time
34,860 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 34,860 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 34,860 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.