Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 26.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,289/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 $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,320/month.

Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $75K here vs. $97K nationally.

Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -23%.

The median is $74,890 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,340, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $93,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,796/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,289/month, which eats 26.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Lower East Mississippi 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 $74,890 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.