Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Career, Salary and Skills
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $46,960 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 44,970. Wage data is published for 63 locations.
Occupation description
Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.
O*NET code
47-5071.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$46,960
Hourly median
$22.58
Employment
44,970
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 2.25 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 2.12 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Repairing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Active Listening | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.88 | 2.75 |
Typical tasks
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
- Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
- Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
- Lay gas and oil pipelines.
- Bolt together pump and engine parts.
- Clean trucks used in the fields.
Technology
- Database management systems
- Enertia
- Inventory management systems
- Maintenance record software
- Maintenance software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Microsoft Word
- Purchasing software
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in TXMedian $45,950 · Employment 24,430
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in Houston, TXMedian $47,260 · Employment 5,850
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in Midland, TXMedian $47,180 · Employment 3,940
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in LAMedian $44,850 · Employment 3,460
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in OKMedian $47,260 · Employment 2,730
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in NDMedian $60,480 · Employment 2,460
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in NMMedian $50,000 · Employment 2,220
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in Odessa, TXMedian $45,650 · Employment 2,060
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $48,030 · Employment 1,740
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in COMedian $49,050 · Employment 1,620
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in PAMedian $47,520 · Employment 1,610
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary in WYMedian $46,660 · Employment 1,180
Related careers
- Pile Driver OperatorsNational median $73,300
- Helpers--ElectriciansNational median $42,670
- Engine and Other Machine AssemblersNational median $53,710
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface MiningNational median $57,430
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related RepairersNational median $56,210
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersNational median $63,800
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersNational median $42,360
- MillwrightsNational median $65,700
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.