Your work. Your records.
Refinery and Pump Operator Workplace Records
Refinery and pump system operators may monitor equipment, coordinate product movement, and report maintenance concerns across a shift. Prepare an employment timeline around your own assigned duties while keeping process, security, and product information in approved workplace systems.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Shift responsibilities
List your operating area, handover duties, and any reassignment during the work period.
Equipment reports
Record observations and management responses separately from later technical findings.
Supporting records
Identify approved record locations and retain only personal employment documents you may keep.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (51-8093.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.Source task 14309 · updated 08/2023
- Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.Source task 14318 · updated 08/2023
- Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.Source task 14305 · updated 08/2023
- Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.Source task 14306 · updated 08/2023
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (SOC 51-8093). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $23.16 | $35.34 | $42.25 | $73,510 |
| Alaska | $51.34 | $59.87 | $80.71 | $124,530 |
| Arizona | $20.01 | $28.88 | $47.35 | $60,070 |
| Arkansas | $33.98 | $41.63 | $45.16 | $86,580 |
| Connecticut | $22.48 | $27.35 | $36.92 | $56,880 |
| Florida | $27.06 | $30.52 | $36.53 | $63,480 |
| Georgia | $21.89 | $27.49 | $35.98 | $57,180 |
| Hawaii | $38.10 | $45.63 | $49.06 | $94,900 |
| Indiana | $26.03 | $32.41 | $47.33 | $67,420 |
| Iowa | $34.08 | $43.34 | $47.28 | $90,160 |
| Kansas | $43.57 | $48.98 | $51.57 | $101,880 |
| Kentucky | $30.75 | $37.82 | $51.34 | $78,670 |
| Louisiana | $40.44 | $51.27 | $52.12 | $106,640 |
| Maine | $30.81 | $31.32 | $36.75 | $65,150 |
| Michigan | $31.24 | $40.40 | $45.89 | $84,030 |
| Minnesota | $48.04 | $49.00 | $61.79 | $101,910 |
| Mississippi | $36.15 | $36.15 | $39.62 | $75,180 |
| Missouri | $33.70 | $38.92 | $47.49 | $80,960 |
| Montana | $37.93 | $47.26 | $49.61 | $98,310 |
| New Hampshire | $29.57 | $33.68 | $37.50 | $70,050 |
| New Mexico | $30.19 | $35.74 | $48.93 | $74,340 |
| New York | $32.60 | $42.73 | $48.71 | $88,880 |
| North Carolina | $31.62 | $38.49 | $45.77 | $80,060 |
| North Dakota | $38.66 | $44.77 | $49.37 | $93,130 |
| Ohio | $41.03 | $50.55 | $51.69 | $105,150 |
| Oklahoma | $38.75 | $45.74 | $51.52 | $95,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $33.81 | $40.32 | $47.45 | $83,870 |
| Tennessee | $36.72 | $46.50 | $46.50 | $96,730 |
| Texas | $36.16 | $40.43 | $48.29 | $84,100 |
| Utah | $40.04 | $50.95 | $50.99 | $105,980 |
| Virginia | $22.59 | $28.35 | $37.93 | $58,970 |
| West Virginia | $38.99 | $40.34 | $43.06 | $83,910 |
| Wisconsin | $32.01 | $34.35 | $47.85 | $71,450 |
| Wyoming | $41.86 | $48.25 | $54.83 | $100,350 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Define the assignment and handover
Record your assigned unit or general operating area, work period, and handover responsibilities. Separate monitoring, coordination, and required documentation. If you moved between assignments, note who directed the change and when, without reproducing operational settings or transfer instructions.
Describe equipment concerns in sequence
For a concern involving a malfunction, record what you observed, when you reported it, and the instruction you received. Distinguish your report from a later maintenance finding. A personal chronology should explain the employment issue without attempting to diagnose equipment or provide operating directions.
Use limited supporting records
Keep your own pay statements, schedules, and permitted training notices. Do not export control-system data, product movement logs, security information, or proprietary processing details into a personal folder. Identify where the relevant original entry is stored and use a general description when explaining why it matters.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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