Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay in the U.S.
$90,630avg. a year
$43.57 an hour · 33,160 employed
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in the U.S. earn an average of $90,630 a year and a median of $96,710. Pay is highest in Alaska ($129,970) and lowest in South Carolina ($61,830).
$96,710Median pay
$43.57Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2020
33,160Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1370 jobs
Alaska
$129,970
$62.49 an hour
23,360 jobs
California
$104,560
$50.27 an hour
3550 jobs
Minnesota
$103,380
$49.70 an hour
4420 jobs
New Jersey
$103,240
$49.63 an hour
51,070 jobs
Illinois
$103,080
$49.56 an hour
6560 jobs
Wyoming
$98,740
$47.47 an hour
7950 jobs
Kansas
$98,160
$47.19 an hour
8930 jobs
Washington
$97,810
$47.02 an hour
9600 jobs
Utah
$96,490
$46.39 an hour
10280 jobs
Hawaii
$95,490
$45.91 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $74k$74k–$85k$85k–$95k$95k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $114,810 | $55.20 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $106,940 | $51.42 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $106,750 | $51.32 |
| Vallejo, CA | $106,180 | $51.05 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $104,820 | $50.39 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $103,970 | $49.99 |
| Toledo, OH | $103,950 | $49.98 |
| Tulsa, OK | $102,170 | $49.12 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $70,520 | $73,510 | 90 |
| Alaska | $129,970 | $124,530 | 370 |
| Arizona | $67,850 | $60,070 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $80,110 | $86,580 | 220 |
| California | $104,560 | $103,250 | 3,360 |
| Colorado | $88,890 | $93,750 | 120 |
| Connecticut | $65,190 | $56,880 | – |
| Florida | $67,740 | $63,480 | 170 |
| Georgia | $62,790 | $57,180 | 240 |
| Hawaii | $95,490 | $94,900 | 280 |
| Illinois | $103,080 | $102,890 | 1,070 |
| Indiana | $73,680 | $67,420 | 520 |
| Iowa | $87,020 | $90,160 | 70 |
| Kansas | $98,160 | $101,880 | 950 |
| Kentucky | $82,740 | $78,670 | 520 |
| Louisiana | $93,680 | $106,640 | 3,490 |
| Maine | $70,950 | $65,150 | 60 |
| Maryland | $78,090 | $78,580 | 90 |
| Michigan | $81,490 | $84,030 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $103,380 | $101,910 | 550 |
| Mississippi | $81,220 | $75,180 | 860 |
| Missouri | $85,070 | $80,960 | 100 |
| Montana | $94,310 | $98,310 | 550 |
| Nevada | $66,960 | $62,420 | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $70,270 | $70,050 | 120 |
| New Jersey | $103,240 | $104,540 | 420 |
| New Mexico | $79,270 | $74,340 | 420 |
| New York | $86,200 | $88,880 | 70 |
| North Carolina | $81,520 | $80,060 | 130 |
| North Dakota | $91,690 | $93,130 | 950 |
| Ohio | $95,470 | $105,150 | 800 |
| Oklahoma | $93,730 | $95,140 | 1,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,720 | $83,870 | 820 |
| South Carolina | $61,830 | $58,160 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $88,920 | $96,730 | 170 |
| Texas | $84,350 | $84,100 | 10,510 |
| Utah | $96,490 | $105,980 | 600 |
| Virginia | $65,530 | $58,970 | 250 |
| Washington | $97,810 | $103,620 | 930 |
| West Virginia | $85,280 | $83,910 | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $80,510 | $71,450 | – |
| Wyoming | $98,740 | $100,350 | 560 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$84,880
5,510 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$106,940
1,700 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$97,150
1,560 jobsBeaumont-Port Arthur, TX
$96,630
1,480 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$114,810
870 jobsCorpus Christi, TX
$83,690
820 jobsBaton Rouge, LA
$93,550
660 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$100,730
620 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers make?
The average is $90,630 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $96,710 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $43.57, and the median is $46.50 an hour.
Which state pays petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers the most?
Alaska, with an average of $129,970 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $114,810.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $57,110 a year, and the top 10% earn over $115,880.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-8093. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.