Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Salary: $91,997 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 13,090 rotary drill operators, oil and gas nationally earn a mean of $91,997. Employment in the series shown rose about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.5% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas: what the data shows
Common questions about rotary drill operators, oil and gas careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 13,090 workers.
What does a rotary drill operators, oil and gas do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a rotary drill operators, oil and gas make?
BLS national median annual wage: $65,010 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $91,997 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,564 |
| 25th percentile | $61,465 |
| Median (50th) | $102,394 |
| 75th percentile | $109,950 |
| 90th percentile | $124,680 |
What education do you need?
For Rotary Drill 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 Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Instructing, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Mathematics, Administration and Management, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is rotary drill operators, oil and gas in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.5% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -35.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -58.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 13,090.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do rotary drill operators, oil and gass work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 13,090 | 20.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 13,080 | 20.1% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 12,220 | 18.8% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 9,860 | 15.2% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 9,860 | 15.2% |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,260 | 3.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas workforce.
Employment Over Time
13,090 Workforce in 2023
The Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$91,997 Average Wage
In 2023, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas earned an average of $91,997.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Salary distribution for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
782 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -35.9%
501 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -58.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Wage Trends by Industry
21.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 29.3% growth (Current: $95,065)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Rotary Drill 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: 5,940 employees, $72,400 avg wage
- OK: 1,570 employees, $66,350 avg wage
- LA: 1,140 employees, $59,710 avg wage
- NM: 650 employees, $79,930 avg wage
- PA: 440 employees, $61,930 avg wage
- CA: 410 employees, $89,370 avg wage
- ND: 280 employees, $74,920 avg wage
- WV: 260 employees, $61,460 avg wage
- WY: 230 employees, $59,800 avg wage
- UT: 200 employees, $72,600 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,660 employees, $86,010 avg wage
- Midland, TX: 610 employees, $66,070 avg wage
- Oklahoma City, OK: 580 employees, $68,610 avg wage
- Lafayette, LA: 510 employees, $47,900 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 430 employees, $75,900 avg wage
- Tulsa, OK: 310 employees, $65,210 avg wage
- Odessa, TX: 290 employees, $63,250 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA: 200 employees, $92,350 avg wage
- Shreveport-Bossier City, LA: 190 employees, $64,960 avg wage
- Longview, TX: 140 employees, $59,100 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Diversity
Demographic information on Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 was 13,090 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Rotary Drill 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas workers.
Education level distribution for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Skills
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Instructing.
Required skills for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas include Mechanical, Mathematics, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Personnel and Human Resources.
Knowledge areas required for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas include Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Multilimb Coordination.
Required abilities for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
Daily Activities
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.
About
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
The average yearly wage for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas was $91,997 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5012 - Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas reports an average salary of $91,997.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 13,090 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.5%, 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.