California

Refinery & Process Operator programs in California

15 listed process operator programs in California, plus BLS pay data for the state and 7 metro areas.

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$104,560Average pay (state, all experience levels)
$72,930Entry-level / bottom 10%
$103,250Median pay (state)
$128,840Top 10% earn over

3,360 jobs in California · 15 listed programs. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Cities with listed programs

BLS wage data

Refinery & Process Operator pay in California

Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
California	$72,930	$96,810	$103,250	$119,200	$128,840	$104,560	3,360
United States	$57,110	$77,510	$96,710	$106,320	$115,880	$90,630	33,160

Metro areas

Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$96,800	$117,180	$117,660	$119,200	$149,760	$114,810	870
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$83,000	$102,940	$103,250	$128,090	$128,840	$106,940	1,700
Vallejo, CA	$86,510	$103,040	$103,040	$103,040	$134,690	$106,180	130
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$79,280	$81,020	$97,530	$97,850	$98,560	$90,510	240
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$60,460	$72,820	$85,220	$100,660	$114,200	$89,940	30
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$59,130	$62,720	$79,840	$100,090	$101,570	$78,620	120
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$47,310	$68,600	$72,930	$88,860	$114,360	$79,270	100

Programs

Listed programs in California

Every process operator program we matched in California. Schools with published tuition are listed first.

Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program.
Program / provider	Location	Type	Graduates 2023-24	Tuition	Source
Berkeley City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Berkeley, CA	Certificate (1-2 years)	4	$1,258–$10,138 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Berkeley City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Berkeley, CA	Associate degree	3	$1,258–$10,138 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
East Los Angeles College Chemical Technology/Technician	Monterey Park, CA	Associate degree	3	$1,238–$11,040 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
East Los Angeles College Chemical Technology/Technician	Monterey Park, CA	Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year)	1	$1,238–$11,040 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Fresno City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Fresno, CA	Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year)	0	$1,334–$10,714 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Fullerton College Chemical Technology/Technician	Fullerton, CA	Associate degree	0	$1,150–$13,279 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Chemical Technology/Technician	Los Angeles, CA	Certificate (1-2 years)	1	$1,238–$11,040 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Chemical Technology/Technician	Los Angeles, CA	Associate degree	1	$1,238–$11,040 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Merced College Chemical Technology/Technician	Merced, CA	Associate degree	0	$1,202–$8,882 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Mt San Antonio College Chemical Technology/Technician	Walnut, CA	Associate degree	4	$1,364–$11,136 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Sacramento City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Sacramento, CA	Certificate (1-2 years)	27	$1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Sacramento City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Sacramento, CA	Associate degree	2	$1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Sacramento City College Chemical Technology/Technician	Sacramento, CA	Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year)	21	$1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Southwestern College Chemical Technology/Technician	Chula Vista, CA	Certificate (1-2 years)	0	$1,356–$12,360 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301
Southwestern College Chemical Technology/Technician	Chula Vista, CA	Associate degree	0	$1,356–$12,360 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301

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Registered apprenticeships in CaliforniaThe full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com Trade schools approved for the GI BillSearch programs that accept VA education benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com

Sources

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 51-8093.00 Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0).
Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).

Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.