---
title: "Refinery & Process Operator Programs in Chester, VA"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/chester/
description: "1 listed process operator program in Chester, VA. Virginia BLS average pay $65,530 (all experience levels), median $58,970."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

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5. Chester
 Chester, VA

# Refinery & Process Operator programs in *Chester*

1 listed program in Chester, with statewide pay data from BLS.

- **$65,530** Average pay (state, all experience levels)
- **$40,300** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$58,970** Median pay (state)
- **$103,390** Top 10% earn over

1 listed program in Chester · 2 in Virginia. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Pay: Virginia, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Programs

## Listed programs in Chester

| Program / provider | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Brightpoint Community College](https://www.brightpoint.edu/) Chemical Process Technology | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $5,230–$11,742 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 41.0303 |
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 Chester

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Virginia | $40,300 | $46,980 | $58,970 | $78,900 | $103,390 | $65,530 | 250 |
| 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 Virginia →](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/)

Related resources

## Keep researching

[**Registered apprenticeships in Virginia** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/va/) [**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/virginia/chester/
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.