Refinery Operator

O*NET: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers·51-8093.00

The Verdict:Refinery work demands hands-on operation of valves, pumps, and equipment amid hazardous chemicals, high pressures, and variable plant conditions no robot handles reliably. AI augments monitoring and planning from control rooms, boosting efficiency without displacing core physical tasks. Safety regulations and labor shortages ensure steady demand over the next decade.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$98k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

-2.8%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 3 of 24 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

13%

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
12 of 24 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 38% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

3exposed

9AI leverage

12human-essential

View all 24 tasks

AI Can Handle This3 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses.

Calculate test result values, using standard formulas.

Prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products.

AI Leverage9 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.

Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.

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.

Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.

Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks.

Synchronize activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products.

Read and analyze specifications, schedules, logs, test results, and laboratory recommendations to determine how to set equipment controls to produce the required qualities and quantities of products.

Coordinate shutdowns and major projects.

Human Advantage12 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.

Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.

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.

Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.

Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.

Collect product samples by turning bleeder valves, or by lowering containers into tanks to obtain oil samples.

Conduct general housekeeping of units, including wiping up oil spills and performing general cleaning duties.

Inspect pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves as necessary.

Perform tests to check the qualities and grades of products, such as assessing levels of bottom sediment, water, and foreign materials in oil samples, using centrifugal testers.

Clean interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units.

Clamp seals around valves to secure tanks.

Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings.

Resilience Landscape

Refinery Operator lands in Stable & Well-Paid

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