Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 28.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,647/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 $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,111/month. At HUD’s $1,647/month FMR, rent would take 32% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

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

Greeley pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — below the national median.

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 $80,290, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $103,180. 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 $1,647/month, which eats 28.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Greeley has a Regional Price Parity of 100.18 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary is worth about $93,582 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.