Refinery Process Operator I Salary in the United States
How much does a Refinery Process Operator I make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Refinery Process Operator I in the United States is $60,145 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.
However, a Refinery Process Operator I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $75,587
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,507 to $68,228
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49,374
10%$49,374
50% (Median)$60,145
90%$75,587
Refinery Process Operator I Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Refinery Process Operator I Salaries
A Refinery Process Operator I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Refinery Process Operator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Refinery Process Operator I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Refinery Process Operator I Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Refinery Process Operator Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Top Paying Cities for Refinery Process Operator Is
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $75,864
San Francisco: $75,033
Oakland: $73,452
San Jose, CA$75,864
San Francisco, CA$75,033
Oakland, CA$73,452
New York, NY$69,252
Paramus, NJ$68,410
Queens Village, NY$68,407
Passaic, NJ$68,350
Bergenfield, NJ$68,345
Stamford, CT$68,212
Huntington, NY$68,188
Newark, NJ$67,743
Bridgeport, CT$67,616
Vallejo, CA$67,496
New Brunswick, NJ$67,472
Petaluma, CA$67,436
Middlesex, NJ$67,322
Somerset, NJ$67,280
Santa Cruz, CA$67,202
Boston, MA$66,835
Monterey, CA$66,624
Seattle, WA$66,486
Santa Rosa, CA$66,474
Los Angeles, CA$66,456
Juneau, AK$66,299
Washington, DC$66,233
Orange, CA$66,019
Santa Ana, CA$65,860
Long Beach, CA$65,800
Anaheim, CA$65,788
Anchorage, AK$65,758
Santa Maria, CA$65,577
Everett, WA$65,565
Danbury, CT$65,354
Bremerton, WA$65,271
Tacoma, WA$65,054
New Suffolk, NY$65,053
Sacramento, CA$65,036
Santa Barbara, CA$64,970
Trenton, NJ$64,904
San Diego, CA$64,904
Brockton, MA$64,838
Fairbanks, AK$64,690
Lompoc, CA$64,537
Lowell, MA$64,488
Ventura, CA$64,477
Nashua, NH$64,465
Stockton, CA$64,459
Modesto, CA$64,019
Poughkeepsie, NY$63,887
Olympia, WA$63,773
Kennewick, WA$63,773
New Haven, CT$63,749
Lawrence, MA$63,532
Hartford, CT$63,472
Riverside, CA$63,460
New Bedford, MA$63,400
Richland, WA$63,400
Bakersfield, CA$63,316
San Bernardino, CA$63,292
New Britain, CT$63,286
Atlantic City, NJ$63,286
New London, CT$63,262
Norwich, CT$63,243
Portsmouth, NH$63,231
Boulder, CO$63,104
Portland, OR$63,021
Worcester, MA$63,015
Minneapolis, MN$62,828
Philadelphia, PA$62,744
Honolulu, HI$62,546
Saint Paul, MN$62,517
Vineland, NJ$62,504
Providence, RI$62,329
Chicago, IL$62,155
Bellingham, WA$62,082
Springfield, MA$62,034
Baltimore, MD$62,016
Chico, CA$61,866
Pittsfield, MA$61,704
Manchester, NH$61,589
Spokane, WA$61,325
Denver, CO$61,319
Albany, NY$61,036
Troy, NY$61,012
Nassau, NY$60,947
Schenectady, NY$60,885
Wilmington, DE$60,837
Burlington, VT$60,753
Salem, OR$60,729
Portland, ME$60,543
Yakima, WA$60,482
Rochester, MN$60,296
Reno, NV$60,266
Fresno, CA$60,266
Milwaukee, WI$60,212
Detroit, MI$60,152
Ann Arbor, MI$60,141
Allentown, PA$60,133
Colorado Springs, CO$60,031
Syracuse, NY$60,001
Carson City, NV$60,001
Houston, TX$59,917
Eugene, OR$59,887
Gary, IN$59,815
Springfield, OR$59,767
Bismarck, ND$59,754
Galveston, TX$59,712
Medford, OR$59,622
Fort Collins, CO$59,598
Concord, NH$59,568
Austin, TX$59,550
Mesa, AZ$59,424
Reading, PA$59,418
Phoenix, AZ$59,412
Dallas, TX$59,394
Saint Cloud, MN$59,336
Madison, WI$59,255
Utica, NY$59,093
Rochester, NY$58,997
Des Moines, IA$58,991
Raleigh, NC$58,985
Atlanta, GA$58,894
Battle Creek, MI$58,876
Salt Lake City, UT$58,858
Lancaster, PA$58,768
Harrisburg, PA$58,684
Kansas City, MO$58,624
Champaign, IL$58,612
Kansas City, KS$58,612
Fort Worth, TX$58,606
Columbus, OH$58,595
Boca Raton, FL$58,581
Pittsburgh, PA$58,557
Richmond, VA$58,533
Indianapolis, IN$58,521
Cleveland, OH$58,515
Las Vegas, NV$58,443
Cincinnati, OH$58,443
Petersburg, VA$58,353
Huntsville, AL$58,263
Lansing, MI$58,222
Lebanon, PA$58,215
Pueblo, CO$58,209
Appleton, WI$58,190
Buffalo, NY$58,166
Dayton, OH$58,148
Racine, WI$58,136
Charlotte, NC$58,130
Saint Louis, MO$58,112
York, PA$58,076
Elkhart, IN$58,076
Gastonia, NC$58,065
Billings, MT$58,050
Beaumont, TX$58,034
Lorain, OH$58,022
Benton Harbor, MI$58,010
Toledo, OH$57,998
Binghamton, NY$57,968
Rock Hill, SC$57,962
Rockford, IL$57,932
Springfield, IL$57,908
Elyria, OH$57,902
Fargo, ND$57,902
Flagstaff, AZ$57,860
Fort Lauderdale, FL$57,824
Duluth, MN$57,787
Miami, FL$57,787
Cheyenne, WY$57,745
Grand Forks, ND$57,745
Bangor, ME$57,613
Cedar Rapids, IA$57,547
Durham, NC$57,522
Louisville, KY$57,517
Grand Rapids, MI$57,505
Hialeah, FL$57,499
Casper, WY$57,414
Scranton, PA$57,342
New Orleans, LA$57,324
Virginia Beach, VA$57,318
Akron, OH$57,288
Peoria, IL$57,210
Sarasota, FL$57,198
Nashville, TN$57,156
Omaha, NE$57,156
Green Bay, WI$57,156
Baton Rouge, LA$57,126
Charleston, SC$57,114
Jamestown, NY$57,084
Davenport, IA$57,084
Tucson, AZ$57,054
Saint Petersburg, FL$57,017
Tampa, FL$57,005
Evansville, IN$56,969
Port Arthur, TX$56,969
Bradenton, FL$56,945
Santa Fe, NM$56,837
Orlando, FL$56,729
Clearwater, FL$56,711
Canton, OH$56,584
La Crosse, WI$56,584
Albuquerque, NM$56,548
Newport News, VA$56,542
High Point, NC$56,524
Ogden, UT$56,500
Corpus Christi, TX$56,452
Norfolk, VA$56,416
Laramie, WY$56,416
Rock Island, IL$56,380
Saginaw, MI$56,368
Jacksonville, FL$56,362
Salisbury, NC$56,350
Boise, ID$56,338
Moline, IL$56,308
Fort Myers, FL$56,290
Memphis, TN$56,278
Tulsa, OK$56,247
Waterloo, IA$56,211
Spartanburg, SC$56,151
Lincoln, NE$56,121
Fort Wayne, IN$56,109
Provo, UT$56,103
Cedar Falls, IA$56,031
San Antonio, TX$56,007
Greensboro, NC$55,983
South Bend, IN$55,977
Savannah, GA$55,911
Muskegon, MI$55,887
Birmingham, AL$55,881
Winston Salem, NC$55,851
Lake Charles, LA$55,706
Anderson, IN$55,694
Lexington, KY$55,676
Augusta, GA$55,658
Greenville, SC$55,658
Lima, OH$55,610
Wichita, KS$55,604
Tuscaloosa, AL$55,604
Columbia, SC$55,550
Springfield, OH$55,538
Asheville, NC$55,441
Bloomington, IN$55,399
Knoxville, TN$55,183
Shreveport, LA$55,177
Wilmington, NC$55,098
Roanoke, VA$55,098
Topeka, KS$54,990
Frankfort, KY$54,984
Oklahoma City, OK$54,942
Chillicothe, OH$54,918
Longview, TX$54,912
Melbourne, FL$54,906
Sioux Falls, SD$54,810
Mobile, AL$54,804
Terre Haute, IN$54,780
Altoona, PA$54,744
Amarillo, TX$54,701
Killeen, TX$54,683
Fayetteville, AR$54,635
Chattanooga, TN$54,617
Sioux City, IA$54,563
Idaho Falls, ID$54,551
Lynchburg, VA$54,503
Gainesville, FL$54,425
Portsmouth, OH$54,395
Little Rock, AR$54,383
Lafayette, LA$54,359
Youngstown, OH$54,359
Daytona Beach, FL$54,322
Clarksville, TN$54,316
Pensacola, FL$54,310
Temple, TX$54,306
Hopkinsville, KY$54,130
Erie, PA$54,118
Florence, SC$54,094
Charleston, WV$53,998
Great Falls, MT$53,968
Macon, GA$53,883
Tallahassee, FL$53,877
Fayetteville, NC$53,865
Waco, TX$53,853
Helena, MT$53,811
Pine Bluff, AR$53,788
Vincennes, IN$53,715
Lubbock, TX$53,691
Alamogordo, NM$53,655
Twin Falls, ID$53,601
Rapid City, SD$53,583
Jackson, MS$53,474
Huntington, WV$53,470
Greenville, MS$53,468
Parkersburg, WV$53,407
Montgomery, AL$53,396
Wichita Falls, TX$53,336
Springfield, MO$53,336
Biloxi, MS$53,306
Monroe, LA$53,246
Johnstown, PA$53,204
Sumter, SC$53,180
Columbus, GA$53,174
Pascagoula, MS$53,059
Abilene, TX$53,059
Kingsport, TN$52,903
Albany, GA$52,903
Gulfport, MS$52,885
Alexandria, LA$52,686
Fort Smith, AR$52,536
El Paso, TX$52,373
Las Cruces, NM$52,103
Harlingen, TX$51,950
Pocatello, ID$51,940
Florence, AL$51,862
Brownsville, TX$51,850
Mcallen, TX$51,724
Dothan, AL$51,640
Columbus, MS$51,282
Altus, OK$51,002
Lawton, OK$50,888
Pierre, SD$50,671
What Skills Can Increase a Refinery Process Operator I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 10.47% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Work Ethic (Mentioned in 1.74% Job Postings): A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.
Sustainability (Mentioned in 0.87% Job Postings): Sustainability is a societal goal that broadly aims for humans to safely co-exist on planet Earth over a long time. Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and therefore vary in the literature and over time.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Refinery Process Operator I's salary.
Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Marketing Systems: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Microsoft Office: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Refinery Process Operator I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Refinery Process Operator I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $69,880.
While startup companies pay approximate $59,188.
Refinery Process Operator I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$59,188
Growth Stage
51~500
$62,573
Established
501~5000
$67,508
Enterprise
5000+
$69,880
Refinery Process Operator I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Refinery Process Operator I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$54,507
Average$60,145/year
$68,228
$4,542
Average$5,012/month
$5,686
$1,048
Average$1,157/week
$1,312
$26
Average$29/hour
$33
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$68,228
$5,686
$1,312
$33
Average
$60,145
$5,012
$1,157
$29
25th Percentile
$54,507
$4,542
$1,048
$26
Refinery Process Operator I Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Refinery Process Operator I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Refinery Operator role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$70,900 - a projected growth of
18%
over your current level.
Salaries of Jobs related to Refinery Process Operator I
Salaries for a Refinery Process Operator I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $70,352 in 2023
to around $69,435 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Refinery Process Operator I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Refinery Process Operator I Over Time
$???
$70,352
$70,042
$69,435
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$70,352
2024
$70,042
2025
$69,435
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Refinery Process Operator I
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Refinery Process Operator I
Here are companies hiring for Refinery Process Operator I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$126,909/per year
Consolidated Edison Company of New York IncEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
G$121,776/per year
GE Renewable EnergyEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
C$117,881/per year
Chint Electric International Co LtdEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
C$112,827/per year
Constellation Energy CorpEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
P$110,892/per year
Plains GP Holdings LPEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
W$109,070/per year
Weatherford International PLCEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
E$108,905/per year
Enterprise Products Partners LPEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
C$108,399/per year
Constellation Technology VenturesEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
P$105,977/per year
Plains All American Pipeline LPEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
A$104,755/per year
Areva SAEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
H$103,814/per year
Hf Sinclair CorpEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
F$103,342/per year
Florida Power & Light CoEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
G$102,127/per year
GreymartEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
G$98,523/per year
Golden Alpha IncEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
A$97,825/per year
Alaska Chadux CorpEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
M$92,856/per year
Major EnergyEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
W$91,703/per year
Waste Recovery SystemsEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
A$91,604/per year
ADS-TEC Energy PLCEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
G$88,905/per year
Great American Disposal CoEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
W$86,937/per year
Wieland DiversifiedEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
M$86,069/per year
Moser Energy SystemsEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
L$85,884/per year
Longevity PartnersEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
P$82,126/per year
PricingUtilities.comEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
B$78,189/per year
Blue Water ResourcesEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
C$76,117/per year
Carbon Rivers LLCEnergy & Utilitiesthe United States
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
