Pay by state · 43 states
Petroleum Pump System Operator, Refinery Operator, and Gauger Salary by State (2026)
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn the most in Alaska at $124,530 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $44,470 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $96,710. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $124,530Alaska
- National median
- $96,710BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $44,470Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Petroleum Pump System Operator, Refinery Operator, and Gauger salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AKAlaska | $124,530 | $106,780 | $167,880 | 370 | $121,660 |
| 2 | LALouisiana | $106,640 | $84,110 | $108,420 | 3,490 | $120,897 |
| 3 | UTUtah | $105,980 | $83,280 | $106,050 | 600 | $107,198 |
| 4 | OHOhio | $105,150 | $85,350 | $107,520 | 800 | $113,340 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $104,540 | $104,440 | $104,540 | 420 | $96,080 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $103,620 | $88,410 | $105,640 | 930 | $96,829 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $103,250 | $96,810 | $119,200 | 3,360 | $93,253 |
| 8 | ILIllinois | $102,890 | $101,310 | $111,370 | 1,070 | $102,933 |
| 9 | MNMinnesota | $101,910 | $99,910 | $128,520 | 550 | $103,335 |
| 10 | KSKansas | $101,880 | $90,620 | $107,260 | 950 | $113,115 |
| 11 | WYWyoming | $100,350 | $87,080 | $114,040 | 560 | $108,263 |
| 12 | MTMontana | $98,310 | $78,900 | $103,200 | 550 | $103,872 |
| 13 | TNTennessee | $96,730 | $76,380 | $96,730 | 170 | $105,290 |
| 14 | OKOklahoma | $95,140 | $80,600 | $107,170 | 1,390 | $108,307 |
| 15 | HIHawaii | $94,900 | $79,250 | $102,050 | 280 | $86,311 |
| 16 | COColorado | $93,750 | $78,390 | $103,180 | 120 | $90,973 |
| 17 | NDNorth Dakota | $93,130 | $80,410 | $102,680 | 950 | $104,689 |
| 18 | IAIowa | $90,160 | $70,890 | $98,340 | 70 | $102,732 |
| 19 | NYNew York | $88,880 | $67,810 | $101,320 | 70 | $82,357 |
| 20 | ARArkansas | $86,580 | $70,690 | $93,940 | 220 | $99,589 |
| 21 | TXTexas | $84,100 | $75,210 | $100,440 | 10,510 | $86,650 |
| 22 | MIMichigan | $84,030 | $64,980 | $95,450 | 180 | $87,334 |
| 23 | WVWest Virginia | $83,910 | $81,090 | $89,570 | 330 | $93,757 |
| 24 | PAPennsylvania | $83,870 | $70,310 | $98,700 | 820 | $85,957 |
| 25 | MOMissouri | $80,960 | $70,100 | $98,770 | 100 | $89,146 |
| 26 | NCNorth Carolina | $80,060 | $65,780 | $95,200 | 130 | $84,876 |
| 27 | KYKentucky | $78,670 | $63,960 | $106,780 | 520 | $87,257 |
| 28 | MDMaryland | $78,580 | $66,260 | $100,980 | 90 | $74,867 |
| 29 | MSMississippi | $75,180 | $75,180 | $82,410 | 860 | $86,461 |
| 30 | NMNew Mexico | $74,340 | $62,800 | $101,770 | 420 | $80,619 |
| 31 | ALAlabama | $73,510 | $48,180 | $87,870 | 90 | $82,760 |
| 32 | WIWisconsin | $71,450 | $66,580 | $99,530 | N/A | $75,934 |
| 33 | NHNew Hampshire | $70,050 | $61,510 | $78,000 | 120 | $67,249 |
| 34 | INIndiana | $67,420 | $54,150 | $98,450 | 520 | $72,239 |
| 35 | MEMaine | $65,150 | $64,080 | $76,440 | 60 | $67,130 |
| 36 | FLFlorida | $63,480 | $56,290 | $75,980 | 170 | $61,384 |
| 37 | NVNevada | $62,420 | $56,370 | $78,560 | 30 | $62,433 |
| 38 | AZArizona | $60,070 | $41,620 | $98,480 | 180 | $59,666 |
| 39 | VAVirginia | $58,970 | $46,980 | $78,900 | 250 | $58,326 |
| 40 | SCSouth Carolina | $58,160 | $39,870 | $79,070 | 70 | $62,038 |
| 41 | GAGeorgia | $57,180 | $45,540 | $74,840 | 240 | $59,381 |
| 42 | CTConnecticut | $56,880 | $46,760 | $76,790 | N/A | $54,898 |
| 43 | PRPuerto Rico | $44,470 | $23,040 | $60,790 | 40 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, that changes the ranking: Alaska leads on raw pay at $124,530, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $121,660.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Petroleum Pump System Operator, Refinery Operator, and Gauger pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers the most?
Alaska reports the highest median wage for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $124,530 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Louisiana ($106,640) and Utah ($105,980).
Which state pays Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $44,470 a year, $80,060 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alaska first at $121,660 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $124,530. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.