--- title: "Refinery & Process Operator Programs in Virginia" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/ description: "Refinery & Process Operator pay in Virginia: BLS average $65,530 (all experience levels), median $58,970, bottom 10% $40,300. 2 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. Virginia Virginia # Refinery & Process Operator programs in *Virginia* 2 listed process operator programs in Virginia, plus BLS pay data for the state. - **$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 250 jobs in Virginia · 2 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 - [Big Stone Gap 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/big-stone-gap/) - [Chester 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/chester/) BLS wage data ## Refinery & Process Operator pay in Virginia 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 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. Programs ## Listed programs in Virginia Every process operator program we matched in Virginia. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Brightpoint Community College](https://www.brightpoint.edu/) Chemical Process Technology | Chester, VA | 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 | | [Mountain Empire Community College](https://www.mecc.edu/) Chemical Process Technology | Big Stone Gap, VA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $5,154–$11,667 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. ### Browse by city - [Big Stone Gap 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/big-stone-gap/) - [Chester 1](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/process-operator/virginia/chester/) 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/ 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.