Occupation salary profile

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

SOC 47-5071 BLS OEWS May 2025

Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.

National median · BLS
$46,960
▼ -1.16% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$49,200
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
44,970
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$36,420
25th$38,850
Median (50th)$46,960
75th$58,120
90th — top pay$64,530

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

BLS projects employment of roustabouts, oil and gas to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 4,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
45,500 → 47,100
+1,700 jobs
Projected change
+3.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
4,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Operation and Control3.0
  • Operations Monitoring3.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Equipment Maintenance2.9
  • Repairing2.9
  • Social Perceptiveness2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical3.6
  • Customer and Personal Service3.1
  • Production and Processing2.5
  • Transportation2.5
  • Mathematics2.5
  • English Language2.4
  • Physics2.4
  • Education and Training2.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordSAP softwareDatabase management systemsEnertiaInventory management systemsMaintenance record softwareMaintenance softwareMicrosoft Windows XPPurchasing softwareTelephony softwareToken Ring

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What roustabouts, oil and gas do

  • 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.
Also called
Floor HandRoustaboutRoustabout HandRoustabout PusherField Service RoustaboutOil and Gas RoustaboutOil Field RoustaboutProduction RoustaboutRig HandRoustabout Crew Pusher
More job titles for this occupation (28)
Casing Crew PusherCathead OperatorConnection WorkerDerrick HandDrill Rig OperatorDumper Bailer OperatorEquipment OperatorField Service EngineerField Service Installation Technician (Field Service Installation Tech)Field Service Technician (Field Service Tech)Field SpecialistField Technician (Field Tech)FloorhandFuel Farm OperatorGang WorkerGas Floor HandGeneral Service Technician (General Service Tech)Generator Field Service Technician (Generator Field Service Tech)Gun Perforator LoaderOil Change Technician (Oil Change Tech)Oil Field LaborerOil Floor HandOil Rig Floor HandOil Rig RoughneckOil RiggerTerminal OperatorWell Service Floor WorkerWell Service Floorperson

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.