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Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Career, Salary and Skills

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $96,710 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 33,160. Wage data is published for 92 locations.

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Occupation description

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.

O*NET code

51-8093.00

Job zone

2

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Experience

Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

National salary and employment

Median annual

$96,710

Hourly median

$46.50

Employment

33,160

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$57,110
10th
$77,510
25th
$96,710
Median
$106,320
75th
$115,880
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Operations Monitoring4.004.62
Operation and Control3.753.88
Monitoring3.623.50
Reading Comprehension3.503.38
Speaking3.123.00
Complex Problem Solving3.123.00
Critical Thinking3.003.50
Writing3.003.00
Active Learning3.003.00
Active Listening3.003.00
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Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
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Technology

  • Email software
  • Inventory tracking software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
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Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.