Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
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.
What it pays
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn a median of $46.50/hr — about $96,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $27.46/hr; the top 10% earn $55.71/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn a median of $46.50/hr — about $96,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $27.46/hr; the top 10% earn $55.71/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gauger make?
- The median pay is $46.50 per hour — roughly $96,500 a year, with the real range running from about $27.46/hr (10th percentile) to $55.71/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gauger?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gauger actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.