Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (SOC 47-5012) earn a median $67,890 a year ($32.64 an hour) in the United States, with 12,600 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What rotary drill operators, oil and gas do
Rotary drill operators in oil and gas set up and run several kinds of drills to bring up underground oil and gas, or to pull core samples for testing during exploration. At the controls, the operator observes pressure gauges and moves throttles and levers to control the speed of the rotary tables and to regulate the pressure of tools at the bottoms of boreholes, and counts sections of drill rod to determine the depth of a borehole. Levers and brake pedals control the draw works, which can be gasoline, diesel, electric or steam powered, which raise and lower drill pipe and casing into and out of wells. Sections of drill pipe are connected using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs, and slush pumps are started and examined to ensure that the drilling fluid or mud circulates and has the right consistency. The operator keeps records of footage drilled, the strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered and time required, maintains and adjusts the machinery, and trains crews and introduces procedures that make drilling safer and more effective. Earth drillers outside oil and gas (47-5023) are excluded.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report that no high school diploma is required, and training happens on the job.
Also called: Blast Driller, Cable Driller, Cable Tool Driller, Cable Tool Operator, Clean Out Driller.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.60 | $25.87 | $32.64 | $39.12 | $48.97 | $34.68 | 12,600 |
| Annual | $47,010 | $53,810 | $67,890 | $81,360 | $101,860 | $72,130 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where rotary drill operators, oil and gas earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $31.03 | $37.33 | $41.09 | $51.86 | $55.42 | $45.21 | 130 | 0.39 | 4.76 |
| Annual | $64,540 | $77,640 | $85,470 | $107,870 | $115,270 | $94,040 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $23.48 | $30.16 | $39.80 | $43.94 | $48.97 | $38.52 | 580 | 0.67 | 8.23 |
| Annual | $48,840 | $62,730 | $82,780 | $91,390 | $101,860 | $80,120 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $29.52 | $33.23 | $38.38 | $41.72 | $44.26 | $37.07 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $61,410 | $69,120 | $79,830 | $86,780 | $92,070 | $77,110 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $24.10 | $27.41 | $38.05 | $41.53 | $48.10 | $35.53 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $50,130 | $57,020 | $79,140 | $86,390 | $100,060 | $73,900 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.00 | $29.21 | $37.43 | $41.65 | $58.40 | $37.84 | 5,980 | 0.43 | 5.25 |
| Annual | $47,840 | $60,770 | $77,840 | $86,630 | $121,470 | $78,700 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.00 | $29.21 | $37.43 | $41.65 | $58.40 | $37.84 | 5,980 | 0.43 | 5.25 |
| Annual | $47,840 | $60,770 | $77,840 | $86,630 | $121,470 | $78,700 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $23.16 | $24.13 | $26.52 | $36.41 | $38.42 | $29.21 | 1,700 | 1.00 | 12.32 |
| Annual | $48,180 | $50,200 | $55,160 | $75,730 | $79,910 | $60,770 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $15.38 | $21.23 | $23.76 | $33.74 | $38.16 | $26.55 | 910 | 0.47 | 5.81 |
| Annual | $31,990 | $44,170 | $49,410 | $70,180 | $79,380 | $55,220 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $23.48 | $30.16 | $39.80 | $43.94 | $48.97 | $38.52 | 580 | 0.67 | 8.23 |
| Annual | $48,840 | $62,730 | $82,780 | $91,390 | $101,860 | $80,120 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.98 | $28.55 | $31.50 | $49.16 | $57.75 | $38.12 | 460 | 0.03 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $49,880 | $59,380 | $65,520 | $102,240 | $120,130 | $79,290 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Anchorage, AK | Hourly | $30.58 | $30.58 | $41.09 | $51.86 | $51.86 | $49.77 | 40 | 0.22 | 2.71 |
| Annual | $63,600 | $63,610 | $85,470 | $107,870 | $107,870 | $103,520 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $24.04 | $30.44 | $39.11 | $43.71 | $53.70 | $39.26 | 470 | 0.12 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $49,990 | $63,310 | $81,360 | $90,910 | $111,700 | $81,660 | ||||
| Tyler, TX | Hourly | $24.94 | $35.75 | $38.29 | $38.29 | $39.85 | $35.95 | 80 | 0.71 | 8.76 |
| Annual | $51,880 | $74,370 | $79,640 | $79,640 | $82,880 | $74,770 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $24.71 | $31.37 | $38.20 | $47.71 | $64.84 | $42.43 | 2,100 | 0.64 | 7.88 |
| Annual | $51,400 | $65,240 | $79,450 | $99,240 | $134,860 | $88,240 | ||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $24.90 | $31.08 | $37.63 | $41.65 | $52.32 | $38.81 | 490 | 4.01 | 49.47 |
| Annual | $51,790 | $64,650 | $78,260 | $86,630 | $108,830 | $80,720 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $24.71 | $31.37 | $38.20 | $47.71 | $64.84 | $42.43 | 2,100 | 0.64 | 7.88 |
| Annual | $51,400 | $65,240 | $79,450 | $99,240 | $134,860 | $88,240 | ||||
| Oklahoma City, OK | Hourly | $24.13 | $24.13 | $26.52 | $31.55 | $38.05 | $28.59 | 1,040 | 1.54 | 18.96 |
| Annual | $50,200 | $50,200 | $55,160 | $65,620 | $79,140 | $59,460 | ||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $24.90 | $31.08 | $37.63 | $41.65 | $52.32 | $38.81 | 490 | 4.01 | 49.47 |
| Annual | $51,790 | $64,650 | $78,260 | $86,630 | $108,830 | $80,720 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $24.04 | $30.44 | $39.11 | $43.71 | $53.70 | $39.26 | 470 | 0.12 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $49,990 | $63,310 | $81,360 | $90,910 | $111,700 | $81,660 | ||||
| Lafayette, LA | Hourly | $15.38 | $15.38 | $23.65 | $23.65 | $33.74 | $22.48 | 400 | 2.23 | 27.56 |
| Annual | $31,990 | $31,990 | $49,190 | $49,190 | $70,180 | $46,760 | ||||
Top industries employing rotary drill operators, oil and gas
Support Activities for Mining employ 74.3% of rotary drill operators, oil and gas nationally (9,360 jobs) at a median $67,760 a year ($32.58 an hour), followed by Oil and Gas Extraction (16.5%) and Other Specialty Trade Contractors (1.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining NAICS 213100 | 9,360 | 74.3% | $67,760 | $32.58 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction NAICS 211100 | 2,080 | 16.5% | $76,940 | $36.99 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 200 | 1.6% | $61,970 | $29.79 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 180 | 1.4% | $66,160 | $31.81 |
| Other Pipeline Transportation NAICS 486900 | 150 | 1.2% | $100,570 | $48.35 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,600). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $56,380 for rotary drill operators, oil and gas in May 2021 and $67,890 in May 2025, with employment of 11,170 and 12,600.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $56,380 | $27.10 | 11,170 |
| May 2022 | $55,260 | $26.57 | 12,190 |
| May 2023 | $61,770 | $29.70 | 12,180 |
| May 2024 | $65,010 | $31.26 | 13,090 |
| May 2025 | $67,890 | $32.64 | 12,600 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
26 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska profile | $41.09 | $85,470 | $64,540 | $115,270 | 130 | 0.39 | 4.76 |
| 2 | New Mexico profile | $39.80 | $82,780 | $48,840 | $101,860 | 580 | 0.67 | 8.23 |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $38.38 | $79,830 | $61,410 | $92,070 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 4 | Nebraska profile | $38.05 | $79,140 | $50,130 | $100,060 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.46 |
| 5 | Texas profile | $37.43 | $77,840 | $47,840 | $121,470 | 5,980 | 0.43 | 5.25 |
| 6 | North Dakota profile | $34.27 | $71,280 | $52,280 | $104,970 | 230 | 0.54 | 6.69 |
| 7 | Utah profile | $33.85 | $70,400 | $49,440 | $103,460 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Alabama profile | $32.41 | $67,400 | $44,700 | $120,610 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 9 | Mississippi profile | $32.35 | $67,290 | $36,170 | $98,160 | 130 | 0.11 | 1.39 |
| 10 | New York profile | $32.21 | $67,000 | $54,690 | $99,340 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.06 |
| 11 | California profile | $31.50 | $65,520 | $49,880 | $120,130 | 460 | 0.03 | 0.31 |
| 12 | Ohio profile | $30.58 | $63,600 | $46,380 | $82,860 | 290 | 0.05 | 0.64 |
| 13 | Arizona profile | $30.25 | $62,920 | $33,430 | $100,130 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.13 |
| 14 | Florida profile | $29.79 | $61,970 | $58,500 | $87,170 | 180 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $60,770 | $86,780 | 390 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $29.52 | $61,410 | $44,320 | $72,070 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.32 |
| 17 | Wyoming profile | $29.33 | $61,000 | $38,390 | $99,930 | 200 | 0.71 | 8.76 |
| 18 | Kansas profile | $29.14 | $60,600 | $31,000 | $77,810 | 130 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| 19 | Tennessee profile | $28.26 | $58,780 | $44,470 | $78,480 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.14 |
| 20 | North Carolina profile | $27.77 | $57,760 | $33,420 | $97,470 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.12 |
| 21 | West Virginia profile | $27.41 | $57,020 | $46,730 | $80,250 | 240 | 0.35 | 4.29 |
| 22 | Oklahoma profile | $26.52 | $55,160 | $48,180 | $79,910 | 1,700 | 1.00 | 12.32 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $25.97 | $54,020 | $40,910 | $103,990 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.21 |
| 24 | Louisiana profile | $23.76 | $49,410 | $31,990 | $79,380 | 910 | 0.47 | 5.81 |
| 25 | Kentucky profile | $18.52 | $38,520 | $36,270 | $46,030 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 26 | Arkansas profile | $18.12 | $37,700 | $37,430 | $74,560 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.62 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-5010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-5012 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-5012, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-5012.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.