Production · Holland code RC

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.

Also called: Gauger, Operator, Pumper, Refinery Operator, Board Operator, Crude Unit Operator, Hydrotreater Operator, Outside Operator.

O*NET 51-8093.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $96,710; Middle half earn $77,510 to $106,320. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 97% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.
Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.
Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.
Patrol units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks, and to verify that activities and operations are safe, efficient, and in compliance with regulations.
Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.6 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.5 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Writing3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.6 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.6 / 5
Mechanical3.5 / 5
Administration and Management3.5 / 5
Mathematics3.2 / 5
English Language3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic86
Investigative24
Artistic0
Social6
Enterprising21
Conventional68

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

gas station operator · DE Steuerer von Gasanlagen/Steuererin von Gasanlagen · FR opérateur/opératrice de station de gaz
gas processing plant operator · DE Steuerer von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen/Steuerin von Gasaufbereitungsanlagen · FR opérateur d’installations de traitement de gaz/opératrice d’installations de traitement de gaz
oil refinery control room operator · DE Steuerer Leitstand Erdölraffinationsanlagen/Steuerin Leitstand Erdölraffinationsanlagen · FR pilote de salle de contrôle de raffineries de pétrole
petroleum pump system operator · DE Steuerer Ölpumpsysteme/Steuerin Ölpumpsysteme · FR conducteur de systèmes de pompage de pétrole/conductrice de systèmes de pompage de pétrole
pipeline pump operator · DE Pipelinebediener/Pipelinebedienerin · FR opérateur d’installations de pompage et de pipelines/opératrice d’installations de pompage et de pipelines
distillation operator · DE Erdölraffinierer/Erdölraffiniererin · FR opérateur de conduite en raffinerie/opératrice de conduite en raffinerie

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Chemical and related process operatives (8113)34,100 employed
Process operatives n.e.c. (8119)26,300 employed
Production, factory and assembly supervisors (8160)32,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.37. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-8093).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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