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Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers vs Power Plant Operators: what changes?

Consider Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers if you want to operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. Consider Power Plant Operators if you would rather control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers and Power Plant Operators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

National median pay (2025)
$96,710
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
2,700
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers brief

Power Plant Operators

National median pay (2025)
$102,040
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
2,300
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 5.1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Power Plant Operators brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers has the edge on projected growth

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers is at -1.9% projected growth, compared with -5.1% projected growth for Power Plant Operators.

2

Power Plant Operators has the edge on median pay

Power Plant Operators is at $102,040, compared with $96,710 for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

3

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers has the edge on annual openings

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers is at 2,700 annual openings, compared with 2,300 annual openings for Power Plant Operators.

53/ 100

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

vs
51.3/ 100

Power Plant Operators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers vs Power Plant Operators

DimensionPetroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and GaugersPower Plant Operators
Median pay (2025)$96,710$102,040
Pay percentile80.3 percentile84.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-1.9%-5.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)2,7002,300
2025 employment32,90029,800
How you qualifyHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers briefRead Power Plant Operators brief

Try another comparison

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers vs Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
$96,710 · -1.9% growth
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
$48,540 · -1.7% growth
Compare careers →

Power Plant Operators vs Chemical Plant and System Operators

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Power Plant Operators
$102,040 · -5.1% growth
Chemical Plant and System Operators
$78,120 · -5.2% growth
Compare careers →
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