--- title: "Refinery & Process Operator Programs in Pennsylvania" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/ description: "Refinery & Process Operator pay in Pennsylvania: BLS average $84,720 (all experience levels), median $83,870, bottom 10% $61,670. 8 listed programs." updated: 2026-11-03 wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15" --- 1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/) 2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/) 3. [Refinery & Process Operator](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/) 4. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania # Refinery & Process Operator programs in *Pennsylvania* 8 listed process operator programs in Pennsylvania, plus BLS pay data for the state and 2 metro areas. - **$84,720** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$61,670** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$83,870** Median pay (state) - **$105,580** Top 10% earn over 820 jobs in Pennsylvania · 8 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 - [Scranton 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/scranton/) - [Bloomsburg 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/bloomsburg/) - [Bradford 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/bradford/) - [Butler 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/butler/) - [Newtown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/newtown/) - [Pleasant Gap 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/pleasant-gap/) - [Schnecksville 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/schnecksville/) BLS wage data ## Refinery & Process Operator pay in Pennsylvania Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pennsylvania | $61,670 | $70,310 | $83,870 | $98,700 | $105,580 | $84,720 | 820 | | 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. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $86,960 | $105,300 | $105,580 | $109,980 | $125,110 | $106,750 | 590 | | Pittsburgh, PA | $61,240 | $69,570 | $72,190 | $90,080 | $91,000 | $77,960 | 260 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in Pennsylvania Every process operator program we matched in Pennsylvania. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bucks County Community College](https://www.bucks.edu/) Chemical Technology/Technician | Newtown, PA | Associate degree | 5 | $5,683–$13,963 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301 | | [Butler County Community College](https://www.bc3.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Butler, PA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $6,210–$12,300 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 | | [Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology](https://www.cpi.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Pleasant Gap, PA | Associate degree | 6 | $17,618 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 | | [Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania](https://www.commonwealthu.edu/) Chemical Technology/Technician | Bloomsburg, PA | Associate degree | 0 | $11,610–$23,976 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301 | | [Lackawanna College](https://www.lackawanna.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Scranton, PA | Associate degree | 12 | $19,100 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 | | [Lackawanna College](https://www.lackawanna.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Scranton, PA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $19,100 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0903 | | [Lehigh Carbon Community College](https://www.lccc.edu/) Chemical Technology/Technician | Schnecksville, PA | Associate degree | 6 | $5,616–$14,048 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0301 | | [University of Pittsburgh-Bradford](https://www.upb.pitt.edu/) Petroleum Technology/Technician | Bradford, PA | Associate degree | 2 | $15,006–$26,998 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. ### Browse by city - [Scranton 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/scranton/) - [Bloomsburg 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/bloomsburg/) - [Bradford 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/bradford/) - [Butler 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/butler/) - [Newtown 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/newtown/) - [Pleasant Gap 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/pleasant-gap/) - [Schnecksville 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/pennsylvania/schnecksville/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**Registered apprenticeships in Pennsylvania** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/pa/) [**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/pennsylvania/ 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.