Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Salary in Houston, TX
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $84,100 a year — 13% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $67,994 take-home, or $5,666 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$9,672
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,214
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,219
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$67,994
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers pay by experience in Houston, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $45,670 | $21.96 | $38,876 | $3,240 |
| 25th percentile | $77,560 | $37.29 | $63,393 | $5,283 |
| Median (50th) | $84,100 | $40.43 | $67,994 | $5,666 |
| 75th percentile | $98,100 | $47.16 | $77,843 | $6,487 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $114,350 | $54.98 | $89,275 | $7,440 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $84,100 buys in Houston, TX
Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers's $67,994 take-home pay has the buying power of $68,940 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Houston, TX has 7.8× the national concentration of petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers, adjusted for cost of living
Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $84,100 | $67,994 | $68,940 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 1 metros →
About the job: 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.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -1.9% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers make in Houston, TX?
The median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $84,100 a year, or about $40.43 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $77,560 and $98,100.
What is a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?
On the median $84,100 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $67,994 a year ($5,666 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers?
Pay here is 13% below the national median of $96,710. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $68,940 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers afford rent in Houston, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 23% of a median petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Houston, TX
- Chemical Equipment Operator and Tender — $79,430
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $75,330
- Machinist — $61,280
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $57,940
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator — $50,280
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — $46,950
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $46,630
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers — $45,270
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $43,420
- Production Workers, All Other — $39,070
- Butcher and Meat Cutter — $38,120
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $37,890