Roustabouts, oil and gas salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,420 | $17.51 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $46,960 | $22.58 |
| Mean (average) | $49,200 | $23.65 |
| 90th percentile | $64,530 | $31.03 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Roustabouts, oil and gas pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 23 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,400 | $36,240 | $67,820 | 70 | 0.12 |
| Alaska | $60,810 | $49,470 | $80,140 | 430 | 4.6 |
| Arkansas | $44,960 | $39,020 | $64,040 | 120 | 0.32 |
| California | $48,880 | $39,110 | $83,930 | 660 | 0.13 |
| Colorado | $49,050 | $45,170 | $60,490 | 1,620 | 1.94 |
| Florida | $57,080 | $38,400 | $62,650 | 40 | 0.01 |
| Illinois | $46,500 | $40,030 | $50,500 | 290 | 0.16 |
| Indiana | $51,740 | $34,760 | $55,820 | 100 | 0.11 |
| Kansas | $46,220 | $39,200 | $75,830 | 570 | 1.37 |
| Louisiana | $44,850 | $36,700 | $66,660 | 3,460 | 6.18 |
| Michigan | $51,720 | $38,400 | $69,710 | 290 | 0.23 |
| Mississippi | $49,240 | $37,300 | $71,930 | 420 | 1.25 |
| Montana | $58,800 | $46,710 | $73,950 | 200 | 1.37 |
| Nebraska | $53,340 | $48,440 | $60,120 | 40 | 0.13 |
| New Mexico | $50,000 | $36,440 | $65,790 | 2,220 | 8.82 |
| North Dakota | $60,480 | $38,850 | $78,290 | 2,460 | 19.77 |
| Ohio | $51,230 | $35,880 | $75,040 | 450 | 0.28 |
| Oklahoma | $47,260 | $36,260 | $66,550 | 2,730 | 5.53 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,520 | $37,980 | $62,950 | 1,610 | 0.92 |
| South Dakota | $50,370 | $48,710 | $61,190 | 40 | 0.32 |
| Texas | $45,950 | $35,840 | $60,470 | 24,430 | 6 |
| Utah | $48,270 | $40,450 | $61,480 | 740 | 1.47 |
| Wyoming | $46,660 | $37,400 | $63,150 | 1,180 | 14.56 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for roustabouts, oil and gas
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 4,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for roustabouts, oil and gas
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
- Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
- Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
- Lay gas and oil pipelines.
- Bolt together pump and engine parts.
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- Clean trucks used in the fields.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Database management systems
- Enertia
- Inventory management systems
- Maintenance record software
- Maintenance software
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Purchasing software
- Telephony software
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Equipment Maintenance.
Common job titles: Field Service Roustabout, Floor Hand, Oil and Gas Roustabout, Oil Field Roustabout, Production Roustabout, Rig Hand, Roustabout, Roustabout Crew Pusher, Roustabout Hand, Roustabout Pusher.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do roustabouts, oil and gas make?
The national median annual wage for roustabouts, oil and gas was $46,960 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $36,420 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $64,530. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do roustabouts, oil and gas need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is roustabouts, oil and gas a growing career?
BLS projects employment of roustabouts, oil and gas to change +3.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 4,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay roustabouts, oil and gas the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($60,810), North Dakota ($60,480), Montana ($58,800). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.