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What does a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers salary really buy you in Utah?
Utah is 5.5% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Utah's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 94.5, meaning prices are 5.5% lower the national average. A Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers earning $105,980 in Utah has the equivalent purchasing power of $112,148 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Utah's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $65,140 | $68,931 | +$3,791 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $83,280 | $88,126 | +$4,846 |
| Median (P50) | $105,980 | $112,148 | +$6,168 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $106,050 | $112,222 | +$6,172 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $109,390 | $115,756 | +$6,366 |
A Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Utah earns $105,980 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 6% further — like earning $112,148 in an average-cost state. This makes Utah one of the best value states for this occupation.
With an RPP of 94.5, Utah is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After applying Utah's RPP, the $105,980 median salary translates to $112,148 in real terms — a 5.8% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Utah places #5 of 42 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Utah ranks #5 out of 42 states for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers take-home pay in Utah after taxes →
A Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Utah earns a median salary of $105,980 per year. After adjusting for Utah's cost of living (RPP=94.5), the real purchasing power is $112,148 — a +5.8% difference.
Utah's cost of living is 5.5% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Utah is 94.5 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Utah: $105,980 x (100 / 94.5) = $112,148. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers in Utah enjoys 5.8% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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