occupation · 47-5012 · detailed
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas — wages and employment
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas earned a median annual wage of $65,010 in the United States in May 2024, with 13,090 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas earned a median annual wage of $65,010 in the United States in May 2024, with 13,090 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $42,750 or less, the best-paid tenth $98,510 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $61,770 to $65,010, +5.2 %. The best-paying state is California at $99,470; the lowest Kentucky at $42,000. Among metropolitan areas, Bakersfield-Delano, CA pays the highest median, $101,350. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 13,090 | $65,010 | $70,080 | $42,750 | $52,600 | $81,550 | $98,510 | $31.26 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 12,180 | $61,770 | $67,320 | $40,290 | $50,060 | $79,560 | $89,810 | $29.70 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $99,470 | 410 |
| Alaska | $86,750 | 170 |
| New Mexico | $85,540 | 650 |
| Minnesota | $79,760 | 50 |
| Alabama | $77,240 | 90 |
| Colorado | $76,290 | 200 |
| Arizona | $75,540 | 60 |
| Florida | $75,410 | 110 |
| North Dakota | $69,560 | 280 |
| Utah | $68,660 | 200 |
| Arkansas | $67,800 | 30 |
| Texas | $66,430 | 5,940 |
| Oklahoma | $65,080 | 1,570 |
| Mississippi | $62,410 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,350 | 440 |
| Ohio | $61,380 | 160 |
| Louisiana | $60,930 | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $59,750 | — |
| Kansas | $58,580 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $58,040 | 260 |
| Wyoming | $56,600 | 230 |
| Michigan | $54,070 | 100 |
| South Carolina | $50,850 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $43,950 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $42,000 | 120 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $101,350 | 200 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $82,380 | 60 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $79,150 | 1,660 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $78,220 | 430 |
| Tyler, TX | $77,650 | 80 |
| Farmington, NM | $76,960 | 60 |
| San Angelo, TX | $73,690 | 50 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $72,530 | 580 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $66,560 | 50 |
| Midland, TX | $64,550 | 610 |
| Tulsa, OK | $63,960 | 310 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $62,460 | 190 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | $61,980 | 40 |
| Odessa, TX | $57,250 | 290 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $57,240 | 40 |
| Longview, TX | $55,160 | 140 |
| Abilene, TX | $53,210 | 50 |
| Lafayette, LA | $47,930 | 510 |
| Casper, WY | $47,670 | 110 |
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