Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 47.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,812/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 $78K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,681/month.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $91K locally vs. $97K nationally, a 5% difference.

West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $97K — that’s -5%.

The median is $91,470 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,020, and experienced petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers can clear $119,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,913/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,812/month, which eats 47.6% 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.

West North Dakota 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 $91,470 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.