Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Also called: Casing Crew Pusher, Cathead Operator, Connection Worker, Derrick Hand, Drill Rig Operator, Dumper Bailer Operator, Equipment Operator, Field Service Engineer
Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools.
What roustabouts, oil and gas do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- Clean trucks used in the fields.
- Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
- Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
- Clean up spilled oil by bailing it into barrels.
- Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas salary
The median annual wage for roustabouts, oil and gas is $46,960 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,420 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $64,530. The mean annual wage is $49,200.
The mean hourly wage of $23.00 is 3.2× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $46,960 → in 3 years $51,800 → in 5 years $55,200 → in 10 years $65,000 (10-year range $55,900–$75,500). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Roustabouts, Oil and Gas? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become roustabouts, oil and gas
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as roustabouts, oil and gas
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.