Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $84,100/year ($40.43/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $114K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $85,268 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $84K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Pay for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $97K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $101K | $112K |
| Corpus Christi | $79K | $85K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $68K | $66K |
| Midland | $81K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $114K or more, a $69K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $125K | +29% | 370 |
| Louisiana | $107K | +10% | 3,490 |
| Utah | $106K | +10% | 600 |
| Ohio | $105K | +9% | 800 |
| New Jersey | $105K | +8% | 420 |
| Washington | $104K | +7% | 930 |
| California | $103K | +7% | 3,360 |
| Illinois | $103K | +6% | 1,070 |
| Minnesota | $102K | +5% | 550 |
| Kansas | $102K | +5% | 950 |
| Wyoming | $100K | +4% | 560 |
| Montana | $98K | +2% | 550 |
| Tennessee | $97K | +0% | 170 |
| Oklahoma | $95K | -2% | 1,390 |
| Hawaii | $95K | -2% | 280 |
| Colorado | $94K | -3% | 120 |
| North Dakota | $93K | -4% | 950 |
| Iowa | $90K | -7% | 70 |
| New York | $89K | -8% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $87K | -10% | 220 |
| Texas | $84K | -13% | 10,510 |
| Michigan | $84K | -13% | 180 |
| West Virginia | $84K | -13% | 330 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | -13% | 820 |
| Missouri | $81K | -16% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $80K | -17% | 130 |
| Kentucky | $79K | -19% | 520 |
| Maryland | $79K | -19% | 90 |
| Mississippi | $75K | -22% | 860 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -23% | 420 |
| Alabama | $74K | -24% | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $71K | -26% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $70K | -28% | 120 |
| Indiana | $67K | -30% | 520 |
| Maine | $65K | -33% | 60 |
| Florida | $63K | -34% | 170 |
| Nevada | $62K | -35% | 30 |
| Arizona | $60K | -38% | 180 |
| Virginia | $59K | -39% | 250 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -40% | 70 |
| Georgia | $57K | -41% | 240 |
| Connecticut | $57K | -41% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gauger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 27.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,740/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gauger a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $84K here vs. $97K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $84,100 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,670, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $114,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,629/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 27.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary is worth about $85,268 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers get paid the most?
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.