Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Salary: $73,571 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 44,120 service unit operators, oil and gas nationally earn a mean of $73,571. Employment in the series shown fell about 18% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.0% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas: what the data shows
Common questions about service unit operators, oil and gas careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a service unit operators, oil and gas?
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5013.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 44,120 workers.
What does a service unit operators, oil and gas do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Training and Teaching Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a service unit operators, oil and gas make?
BLS national median annual wage: $57,980 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $73,571 — 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 | $46,055 |
| 25th percentile | $61,465 |
| Median (50th) | $68,002 |
| 75th percentile | $84,091 |
| 90th percentile | $105,472 |
What education do you need?
For Service Unit 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, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is service unit operators, oil and gas in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 40.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 96.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 44,120.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do service unit operators, oil and gass work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 44,120 | 20.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 44,080 | 20.3% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 39,640 | 18.2% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 29,160 | 13.4% |
| Support Activities for Mining | 29,160 | 13.4% |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 10,480 | 4.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas workforce.
Employment Over Time
44,120 Workforce in 2023
The Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$73,571 Average Wage
In 2023, Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas earned an average of $73,571.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Salary distribution for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Employment Growth Projections
7.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
14,928 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 40.3%
20,945 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 96.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 14.3% growth (Current: $74,654)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Service Unit 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: 16,900 employees, $58,460 avg wage
- LA: 3,290 employees, $56,430 avg wage
- CA: 3,190 employees, $71,470 avg wage
- ND: 3,080 employees, $64,490 avg wage
- OK: 2,910 employees, $60,600 avg wage
- CO: 2,730 employees, $65,460 avg wage
- NM: 2,080 employees, $64,470 avg wage
- PA: 1,920 employees, $54,930 avg wage
- UT: 1,300 employees, $57,940 avg wage
- AK: 1,290 employees, $101,030 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 5,740 employees, $57,190 avg wage
- Midland, TX: 3,250 employees, $60,280 avg wage
- Odessa, TX: 2,010 employees, $55,020 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano, CA: 1,420 employees, $69,530 avg wage
- Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA: 1,030 employees, $58,830 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 970 employees, $73,940 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 900 employees, $55,650 avg wage
- Greeley, CO: 890 employees, $57,510 avg wage
- Oklahoma City, OK: 870 employees, $64,910 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 730 employees, $67,660 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Diversity
Demographic information on Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 was 44,120 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Service Unit 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 Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas workers.
Education level distribution for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Skills
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas include Mechanical, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Engineering and Technology, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Multilimb Coordination, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
Daily Activities
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.
Most important work activities for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas.
About
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
The average yearly wage for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas was $73,571 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5013 - Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas reports an average salary of $73,571.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 44,120 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.0%, 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.