Careers / Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$58,160
United States, 2025
Employment
43,140
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.
- O*NET code
- 47-5013.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
- Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
- Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions.
- Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.
- Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
- Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells.
- Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil.
- Drive truck-mounted units to well sites.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$38,940
25th percentile
$47,480
75th percentile
$73,230
90th percentile
$97,560
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Operation and Control3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Listening3.4
- Troubleshooting3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Equipment Maintenance3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing3.0
- Speaking3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 17 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
17
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Repairing | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 2.5 | Not selected | 2.5 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Service Unit Operators, Oil and GasHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | $106,480 | 1,090 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $95,370 | 100 | 2025 |
| St. Louis, MO | $91,890 | 40 | 2025 |
| MO | $90,580 | 80 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne, WY | $81,590 | 50 | 2025 |
| MT | $77,750 | 310 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $76,980 | 280 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $66,550 | 90 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $66,220 | 1,060 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $65,140 | 430 | 2025 |
| NM | $64,990 | 2,600 | 2025 |
| Casper, WY | $64,680 | 180 | 2025 |
| Farmington, NM | $64,500 | 590 | 2025 |
| NE | $62,990 | 30 | 2025 |
| CA | $62,580 | 2,820 | 2025 |
| WY | $62,560 | 820 | 2025 |
| Houma, LA | $62,260 | 950 | 2025 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $62,170 | 1,360 | 2025 |
| Tulsa, OK | $62,110 | 350 | 2025 |
| FL | $62,050 | 200 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.