---
title: "Refinery & Process Operator Programs in Williston, ND"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/north-dakota/williston/
description: "3 listed process operator programs in Williston, ND. North Dakota BLS average pay $91,690 (all experience levels), median $93,130."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

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5. Williston
 Williston, ND

# Refinery & Process Operator programs in *Williston*

3 listed programs in Williston, with statewide pay data from BLS.

- **$91,690** Average pay (state, all experience levels)
- **$66,580** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$93,130** Median pay (state)
- **$118,280** Top 10% earn over

3 listed programs in Williston · 5 in North Dakota. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Pay: North Dakota, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Programs

## Listed programs in Williston

| Program / provider | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Williston State College](https://willistonstate.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Certificate (1-2 years) | 2 | $6,436 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 |
| [Williston State College](https://willistonstate.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Associate degree | 1 | $6,436 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 |
| [Williston State College](https://willistonstate.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $6,436 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 |
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.

BLS wage data

## Refinery & Process Operator pay near Williston

BLS publishes no metro estimate that we could match to this city, so statewide wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North Dakota | $66,580 | $80,410 | $93,130 | $102,680 | $118,280 | $91,690 | 950 |
| United States | $57,110 | $77,510 | $96,710 | $106,320 | $115,880 | $90,630 | 33,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

[All process operator programs in North Dakota →](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/north-dakota/)

Related resources

## Keep researching

[**Registered apprenticeships in North Dakota** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/nd/) [**Trade schools approved for the GI Bill** Search programs that accept VA education benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://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](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). 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](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-8093.00), 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](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/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](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)).
- **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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)).

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.

---
Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/north-dakota/williston/
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.