Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 24.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,231/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 $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,929/month.

Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $77K here vs. $97K nationally.

Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -20%.

The median is $77,030 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,490, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $81,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,018/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,231/month, which eats 24.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Northwestern Pennsylvania 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 $77,030 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.