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Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger resume example

A resume for a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger needs to show the work itself: operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. Day to day that means work like this: signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures; maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Gauger
  • Operator
  • Pumper
  • Refinery Operator
  • Board Operator
  • Crude Unit Operator
  • Hydrotreater Operator
  • Outside Operator
  • Stillman
  • Unit Operator
  • Control Panel Tech
  • Gas House Tech
  • In-House Tech
  • Absorption Plant Operator
  • Control Board Operator
  • Control Operator
  • Control Panel Operator
  • Control Panel Technician

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
  • Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
  • Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.
  • Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.
  • Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
  • Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.
  • Patrol units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks, and to verify that activities and operations are safe, efficient, and in compliance with regulations.
  • Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.
  • Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.
  • Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.
  • Collect product samples by turning bleeder valves, or by lowering containers into tanks to obtain oil samples.
  • Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks.

24 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Email software
  • Inventory tracking software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Programmable logic controller PLC software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • Adjustable handwrenches
  • Allen wrench sets
  • Calibrated hydrometer
  • Chain boomers
  • Compressor control panels
  • Digital feeler gauges
  • Electric centrifuges
  • Fencing pliers
  • Flat cold chisels
  • Gauge lines
  • Groove joint pliers
  • Hacksaws

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Operations Monitoring
  2. 02Operation and Control
  3. 03Monitoring
  4. 04Reading Comprehension
  5. 05Complex Problem Solving
  6. 06Speaking
  7. 07Active Learning
  8. 08Active Listening
  9. 09Critical Thinking
  10. 10Judgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Production and Processing
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Mechanical
  • Administration and Management
  • Mathematics
  • English Language

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 97%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 2%Post-Secondary Certificate, awarded for training completed after high school
  • 1%Some College Courses

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger do?
Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. Day to day that includes work like signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures and Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.
What skills should a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger put on a resume?
O*NET rates Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, and Complex Problem Solving among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Email software, Inventory tracking software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Word. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger work?
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Gauger, Operator, Pumper, and Refinery Operator. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 97% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gauger role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.