Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Salary: $66,056 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 11,040 derrick operators, oil and gas nationally earn a mean of $66,056. Employment in the series shown fell about 49% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas: what the data shows
Common questions about derrick operators, oil and gas careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a derrick operators, oil and gas?
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 11,040 workers.
What does a derrick operators, oil and gas do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a derrick operators, oil and gas make?
BLS national median annual wage: $62,740 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,430 |
| 25th percentile | $62,597 |
| Median (50th) | $69,062 |
| 75th percentile | $72,356 |
| 90th percentile | $73,880 |
What education do you need?
For Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Repairing, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is derrick operators, oil and gas in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -37.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -60.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 11,040.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do derrick operators, oil and gass work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 11,040 | 20.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 11,040 | 20.3% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 10,560 | 19.4% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 8,320 | 15.3% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 8,320 | 15.3% |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,210 | 4.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas workforce.
Employment Over Time
11,040 Workforce in 2023
The Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$66,056 Average Wage
In 2023, Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas earned an average of $66,056.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Salary distribution for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
450 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -37.4%
282 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -60.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 9.3% growth (Current: $69,371)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 4,840 employees, $61,090 avg wage
- LA: 1,510 employees, $77,070 avg wage
- NM: 1,070 employees, $55,430 avg wage
- ND: 730 employees, $71,430 avg wage
- OK: 710 employees, $56,790 avg wage
- CO: 360 employees, $64,380 avg wage
- CA: 250 employees, $64,170 avg wage
- KS: 250 employees, N/A avg wage
- AK: 170 employees, $79,970 avg wage
- WY: 160 employees, $65,010 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,560 employees, $68,160 avg wage
- Midland, TX: 510 employees, $58,340 avg wage
- Lafayette, LA: 450 employees, N/A avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 390 employees, $68,650 avg wage
- Oklahoma City, OK: 290 employees, $59,050 avg wage
- Odessa, TX: 280 employees, $48,420 avg wage
- Farmington, NM: 190 employees, $52,660 avg wage
- Shreveport-Bossier City, LA: 120 employees, $67,070 avg wage
- Tyler, TX: 110 employees, $60,330 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA: 90 employees, $59,330 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Diversity
Demographic information on Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 was 11,040 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas workers.
Education level distribution for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Skills
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Repairing.
Required skills for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas include Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas include Multilimb Coordination, Control Precision, Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness.
Required abilities for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
Daily Activities
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.
About
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
The average yearly wage for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas was $66,056 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5011 - Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas reports an average salary of $66,056.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 11,040 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.