SOC 51-8093 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers — Colorado
Colorado · 2 metro areas compared
At $93,750, median pay for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Colorado tracks the national median of $96,710 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -2.8%
- Openings per year
- 3,200
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Colorado.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $93,750, median pay for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Colorado tracks the national median of $96,710 closely. Pay ranges from under $62,620 at the tenth percentile to more than $104,590 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $78,390 to $103,180.
The area has 120 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.20 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Colorado ranks number 16th out of 42 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Denver records the highest median at $101,600. Of the 738 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 160th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $62,620 | −35.2% |
| 25th | $78,390 | −18.9% |
| Median (50th) | $93,750 | −3.1% |
| 75th | $103,180 | +6.7% |
| 90th | $104,590 | +8.1% |
| Mean | $88,890 | −8.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Colorado
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the national average, so the median of $93,750 buys what $90,931 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 6.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$93,750as reported by BLSLocal price level
103.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$90,931US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $93,750 a year, 3.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $62,620 to $104,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 120 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 16th of 42 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Denver, at $101,600.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Colorado?
The median annual wage is $93,750, or $45.07 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $96,710, so pay in Colorado is 3.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Colorado earns more than $104,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $62,620 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Denver, at $101,600 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 120 jobs in this occupation in Colorado. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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