The median pay for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas is $46,960 a year ($22.58/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.6% through 2035, with about 4,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 47-5071
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Oil and Gas Roustabout in four numbers
- Median pay
- $46,960a year, or $22.58/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $65K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,10045,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202545.5K
- Projected 203547.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 45.5K Projected 2035 47.1K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school64.1%
- High school35.5%
- Associate's0.4%
Highest education held by roustabouts, oil and gas Segment Value Less than high school 64.1% High school 35.5% Associate's 0.4%
Also advertised as: Field Service Roustabout, Floor Hand, Oil and Gas Roustabout, Oil Field Roustabout, Production Roustabout, Rig Hand.
Pay
How much do Roustabouts, Oil and Gas make?
Every oil and gas roustabout in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$46,960
Middle half earn $38,850 to $58,120
- 10th
- $36,420
- 25th
- $38,850
- 75th
- $58,120
- 90th
- $64,530
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,420 |
| 25th | $38,850 |
| Median | $46,960 |
| 75th | $58,120 |
| 90th | $64,530 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $46,960
- Median hourly wage
- $22.58/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $49,200
- People employed
- 44,970
Versus all US occupations
At $46,960, Roustabouts, Oil and Gas earn 8% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,020 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 22% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $64,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,420, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 15% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Alaska posts the highest raw median ($60,810), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $67,986 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Roustabouts, Oil and Gas the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $60,810 | $59,409 | 430 |
| 2North Dakota | $60,480 | $67,986 | 2,460 |
| 3Montana | $58,800 | $62,127 | 200 |
| 4Florida | $57,080 | $55,196 | 40 |
| 5Nebraska | $53,340 | $59,199 | 40 |
| 6Indiana | $51,740 | $55,438 | 100 |
| 7Michigan | $51,720 | $53,753 | 290 |
| 8Ohio | $51,230 | $55,220 | 450 |
| 9South Dakota | $50,370 | $56,860 | 40 |
| 10New Mexico | $50,000 | $54,223 | 2,220 |
Job outlook
Is Oil and Gas Roustabout a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | +3.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Roustabouts, Oil and Gas to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,100 openings are projected each year, 9.0% of the 45,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of oil and gas workers is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035.
Despite limited employment growth, about 9,900 openings for oil and gas workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Domestic oil and gas production is expected to support employment of these workers. In addition to many domestic uses, international demand for oil and gas products is expected to create more opportunities for U.S. producers to export their products abroad.
Getting in
How to become an Oil and Gas Roustabout
Oil and gas workers typically do not need formal education to enter these occupations, but some employers require or prefer that candidates have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Many require work experience in a related occupation. Oil and gas workers learn on the job.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as roustabouts, oil and gas.
- Less than a High School Diploma64.1%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)35.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree0.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 64.1% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 35.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 0.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Oil and Gas Roustabout do?
Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.
Oil and gas workers assemble, operate, and maintain equipment used for oil and gas exploration, extraction, and related activities.
Day-to-day tasks
- Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
- Clean trucks used in the fields.
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- 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.
- Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most oil and gas workers are full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Work schedules vary, depending on the job. Some crews, such as those on offshore oil rigs or in remote areas, may spend weeks away from home and work long shifts 7 days a week. Periods of working nonstandard schedules may be followed by periods of time off.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Speaking2.8
- Active Learning2.5
- Learning Strategies2.3
- Reading Comprehension2.1
- Writing2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.1 |
| Writing | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Operation and Control3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
- Repairing2.9
- Time Management2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.9 |
| Repairing | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base management system software
- Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
- Inventory management software
- Procurement software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Oil and Gas Roustabout?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Oil and Gas Roustabout |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional3.3
- Investigative1.8
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Oil and Gas Roustabout
O*NET related occupations
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More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with roustabouts, oil and gas highlighted
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher$57,020
- Roofer$55,440
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher | $57,020 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Oil and Gas Roustabout appears on
Questions
Oil and Gas Roustabout: frequently asked questions
How much do Roustabouts, Oil and Gas make?
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas earn a median of $46,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 8% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.58/hr. The middle half earn between $38,850 and $58,120. The top 10% earn $64,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Oil and Gas Roustabout?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 64.1% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Oil and Gas Roustabout a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Oil and Gas Roustabout do?
Oil and gas workers assemble, operate, and maintain equipment used for oil and gas exploration, extraction, and related activities. A core O*NET task: unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Roustabouts, Oil and Gas the most?
The highest state medians for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas are Alaska ($60,810), North Dakota ($60,480), Montana ($58,800) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $67,986.
What personality type suits an Oil and Gas Roustabout?
O*NET scores Roustabouts, Oil and Gas highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.