Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 22.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,180/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,619/month.

Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $79K here vs. $97K nationally.

Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -18%.

The median is $79,290 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,310, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $100,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,347/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,180/month, which eats 22.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary is worth about $79,290 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.