Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas (SOC 47-5013) earn a median $58,160 a year ($27.96 an hour) in the United States, with 43,140 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What service unit operators, oil and gas do
Service unit operators run equipment that boosts oil flow from producing wells or clears stuck pipe, casing, tools and other obstructions out of drilling wells; fishing-tool technicians are included. They drive truck-mounted units to well sites, operate the controls that raise derricks or level rigs, and install pressure-control devices onto wellheads. Pumps are operated to circulate water, oil or other fluids through a well and remove sand or other material that obstructs the free flow of oil. Operators confer with others to gather information on pipe or tool sizes and borehole conditions, and they listen to engines, rotary chains and other equipment to detect faulty operation or unusual well conditions. They maintain equipment and tools and perform safety inspections on them, and prepare reports of services rendered, tools used and time required for billing purposes. Coiled tubing operator, fishing tool operator and oil well service unit operator are among the listed titles. Rotary drill operators (47-5012) are a separate occupation.
Typical entry: Most workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or equivalent as their level of education, according to O*NET.
Also called: Coiled Tubing Operator, Fishing Tool Operator, Gather Operator, Oil and Gas Equipment Operator, Oil and Gas Field Technician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.72 | $22.83 | $27.96 | $35.21 | $46.90 | $30.04 | 43,140 |
| Annual | $38,940 | $47,480 | $58,160 | $73,230 | $97,560 | $62,470 | ||
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 service unit 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 | $29.94 | $36.38 | $51.19 | $63.77 | $87.85 | $54.16 | 1,090 | 3.34 | 12.03 |
| Annual | $62,280 | $75,670 | $106,480 | $132,630 | $182,740 | $112,650 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $39.63 | $43.05 | $43.55 | $44.18 | $45.74 | $41.48 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| Annual | $82,420 | $89,550 | $90,580 | $91,890 | $95,140 | $86,280 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $22.67 | $27.95 | $37.38 | $46.34 | $46.77 | $37.05 | 310 | 0.61 | 2.19 |
| Annual | $47,150 | $58,130 | $77,750 | $96,380 | $97,290 | $77,060 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $22.79 | $27.72 | $31.25 | $39.93 | $48.99 | $34.46 | 2,600 | 2.98 | 10.75 |
| Annual | $47,400 | $57,650 | $64,990 | $83,050 | $101,900 | $71,680 | ||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $24.20 | $27.69 | $30.28 | $30.38 | $33.29 | $29.54 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| Annual | $50,340 | $57,600 | $62,990 | $63,180 | $69,240 | $61,450 | ||||
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 | $18.06 | $22.52 | $23.95 | $29.43 | $38.35 | $27.22 | 16,820 | 1.20 | 4.31 |
| Annual | $37,560 | $46,840 | $49,820 | $61,210 | $79,770 | $56,620 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $19.11 | $21.39 | $29.21 | $36.61 | $44.77 | $29.60 | 3,130 | 1.62 | 5.84 |
| Annual | $39,740 | $44,480 | $60,760 | $76,160 | $93,120 | $61,570 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $18.08 | $23.70 | $29.24 | $37.42 | $42.51 | $30.92 | 3,000 | 6.98 | 25.16 |
| Annual | $37,600 | $49,290 | $60,810 | $77,840 | $88,410 | $64,310 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $16.58 | $21.02 | $27.25 | $37.29 | $47.09 | $29.71 | 2,980 | 1.75 | 6.30 |
| Annual | $34,490 | $43,730 | $56,680 | $77,550 | $97,950 | $61,790 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $22.35 | $23.90 | $28.98 | $38.99 | $52.54 | $33.16 | 2,930 | 1.02 | 3.68 |
| Annual | $46,490 | $49,710 | $60,290 | $81,100 | $109,290 | $68,980 | ||||
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 | $29.05 | $30.04 | $45.85 | $49.26 | $85.55 | $47.97 | 100 | 0.59 | 2.13 |
| Annual | $60,420 | $62,470 | $95,370 | $102,460 | $177,950 | $99,780 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $31.72 | $43.55 | $44.18 | $44.18 | $45.74 | $42.40 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.11 |
| Annual | $65,970 | $90,580 | $91,890 | $91,890 | $95,140 | $88,190 | ||||
| Cheyenne, WY | Hourly | $21.37 | $22.71 | $39.23 | $47.96 | $47.96 | $34.95 | 50 | 1.05 | 3.78 |
| Annual | $44,450 | $47,230 | $81,590 | $99,750 | $99,750 | $72,690 | ||||
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | Hourly | $23.18 | $29.42 | $37.01 | $45.08 | $52.19 | $36.63 | 280 | 0.88 | 3.16 |
| Annual | $48,210 | $61,200 | $76,980 | $93,770 | $108,550 | $76,180 | ||||
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | Hourly | $24.03 | $24.63 | $32.00 | $37.84 | $45.06 | $33.38 | 90 | 0.11 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $49,980 | $51,240 | $66,550 | $78,710 | $93,720 | $69,420 | ||||
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 | $21.96 | $23.57 | $24.01 | $28.96 | $38.02 | $27.69 | 5,400 | 1.64 | 5.92 |
| Annual | $45,670 | $49,030 | $49,940 | $60,230 | $79,070 | $57,600 | ||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $18.00 | $22.79 | $23.78 | $28.86 | $38.12 | $26.67 | 3,460 | 28.29 | 101.99 |
| Annual | $37,440 | $47,400 | $49,470 | $60,020 | $79,300 | $55,470 | ||||
| Odessa, TX | Hourly | $22.35 | $23.07 | $23.60 | $30.68 | $35.21 | $27.40 | 1,730 | 21.38 | 77.08 |
| Annual | $46,490 | $47,990 | $49,080 | $63,820 | $73,230 | $56,980 | ||||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | Hourly | $21.13 | $22.87 | $29.89 | $35.06 | $46.67 | $30.63 | 1,360 | 4.01 | 14.46 |
| Annual | $43,940 | $47,570 | $62,170 | $72,920 | $97,080 | $63,720 | ||||
| Greeley, CO | Hourly | $22.03 | $22.62 | $24.83 | $29.71 | $47.10 | $29.65 | 1,070 | 8.96 | 32.31 |
| Annual | $45,810 | $47,050 | $51,650 | $61,790 | $97,970 | $61,670 | ||||
Top industries employing service unit operators, oil and gas
Support Activities for Mining employ 67.4% of service unit operators, oil and gas nationally (29,090 jobs) at a median $51,260 a year ($24.64 an hour), followed by Oil and Gas Extraction (23.2%) and Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil (1.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining NAICS 213100 | 29,090 | 67.4% | $51,260 | $24.64 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction NAICS 211100 | 10,010 | 23.2% | $64,500 | $31.01 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil NAICS 486100 | 820 | 1.9% | $97,540 | $46.89 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) NAICS 5320A1 | 760 | 1.8% | $63,250 | $30.41 |
| Natural Gas Distribution NAICS 221200 | 620 | 1.4% | $88,180 | $42.39 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (43,140). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,410 for service unit operators, oil and gas in May 2021 and $58,160 in May 2025, with employment of 32,870 and 43,140.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,410 | $23.28 | 32,870 |
| May 2022 | $50,140 | $24.11 | 36,320 |
| May 2023 | $55,750 | $26.80 | 46,150 |
| May 2024 | $57,980 | $27.88 | 44,120 |
| May 2025 | $58,160 | $27.96 | 43,140 |
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
27 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 | $51.19 | $106,480 | $62,280 | $182,740 | 1,090 | 3.34 | 12.03 |
| 2 | Missouri profile | $43.55 | $90,580 | $82,420 | $95,140 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.10 |
| 3 | Montana profile | $37.38 | $77,750 | $47,150 | $97,290 | 310 | 0.61 | 2.19 |
| 4 | New Mexico profile | $31.25 | $64,990 | $47,400 | $101,900 | 2,600 | 2.98 | 10.75 |
| 5 | Nebraska profile | $30.28 | $62,990 | $50,340 | $69,240 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| 6 | California profile | $30.09 | $62,580 | $46,030 | $104,900 | 2,820 | 0.16 | 0.56 |
| 7 | Wyoming profile | $30.08 | $62,560 | $47,090 | $93,110 | 820 | 2.92 | 10.53 |
| 8 | Florida profile | $29.83 | $62,050 | $45,790 | $72,520 | 200 | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| 9 | Ohio profile | $29.45 | $61,260 | $39,520 | $104,810 | 930 | 0.17 | 0.61 |
| 10 | North Dakota profile | $29.24 | $60,810 | $37,600 | $88,410 | 3,000 | 6.98 | 25.16 |
| 11 | Louisiana profile | $29.21 | $60,760 | $39,740 | $93,120 | 3,130 | 1.62 | 5.84 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $28.98 | $60,290 | $46,490 | $109,290 | 2,930 | 1.02 | 3.68 |
| 13 | Indiana profile | $27.39 | $56,980 | $34,230 | $62,330 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Oklahoma profile | $27.25 | $56,680 | $34,490 | $97,950 | 2,980 | 1.75 | 6.30 |
| 15 | Utah profile | $27.06 | $56,290 | $39,070 | $80,550 | 1,060 | 0.61 | 2.20 |
| 16 | West Virginia profile | $27.04 | $56,250 | $37,680 | $81,930 | 580 | 0.82 | 2.97 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.34 | $54,780 | $39,310 | $73,600 | 1,520 | 0.25 | 0.90 |
| 18 | Michigan profile | $25.00 | $52,000 | $39,350 | $76,930 | 230 | 0.05 | 0.19 |
| 19 | South Dakota profile | $24.00 | $49,920 | $46,060 | $57,010 | 40 | 0.09 | 0.32 |
| 20 | Texas profile | $23.95 | $49,820 | $37,560 | $79,770 | 16,820 | 1.20 | 4.31 |
| 21 | Mississippi profile | $23.85 | $49,610 | $35,480 | $97,590 | 250 | 0.21 | 0.77 |
| 22 | Alabama profile | $23.79 | $49,490 | $39,990 | $74,550 | 170 | 0.08 | 0.29 |
| 23 | Arkansas profile | $23.14 | $48,120 | $32,610 | $66,140 | 220 | 0.17 | 0.61 |
| 24 | Kansas profile | $22.23 | $46,230 | $38,480 | $62,540 | 370 | 0.26 | 0.93 |
| 25 | New York profile | $21.99 | $45,750 | $36,880 | $60,660 | 100 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| 26 | Illinois profile | $20.04 | $41,680 | $37,110 | $71,440 | 220 | 0.04 | 0.13 |
| 27 | Kentucky profile | $13.60 | $28,280 | $25,810 | $77,330 | 210 | 0.11 | 0.39 |
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 47-5013 Service Unit 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 47-5013, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-5013.00, 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.