Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 34.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,757/month.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $94K locally vs. $97K nationally, a 3% difference.

Colorado pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -3%.

The median is $93,750 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,620, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $104,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,851/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 34.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

Colorado 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 $93,750 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.