CareerFacts

All careers › Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Roustabout: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$46,960median pay per year, or $22.58 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $36,420lowest 10% earn less
  2. $38,85025th percentile
  3. $46,960median
  4. $58,12075th percentile
  5. $64,530top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

A roustabout in oil and gas had a median pay of $46,960 a year in May 2025[1]. No formal education or related experience is needed to enter, and training happens on the job[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+3.6%[5]
Openings per year
4,100[6]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[2]

How much do roustabouts make?

The median wage for oil and gas roustabouts was $46,960 a year, or $22.58 an hour[1]. Half of the workers made more than that and half made less[1]. The average was $49,200 a year, or $23.65 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980, so roustabouts were paid a little below it[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,420 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $64,530[3]. The middle half fell between $38,850 and $58,120[3].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][8] $36,420 $17.51
25th percentile[3][8] $38,850 $18.68
Median[1] $46,960 $22.58
75th percentile[3][8] $58,120 $27.94
90th percentile[3][8] $64,530 $31.03

A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10].

Pay by state and city

BLS published state figures for 23 states[11]. Alaska had the highest median at $60,810 a year, followed by North Dakota at $60,480 and Montana at $58,800[11]. Louisiana had the lowest listed median at $44,850[11].

Jobs are concentrated in a few places. Texas had 24,430 roustabout jobs, far ahead of Louisiana (3,460), Oklahoma (2,730), North Dakota (2,460) and New Mexico (2,220)[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Tyler, TX had the top median at $55,000, then Bakersfield-Delano, CA at $52,640 and Traverse City, MI at $51,720[13]. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX had the most jobs at 5,850, with a median of $47,260[14].

Show median pay in 23 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Alaska[11]$60,810430
North Dakota$60,4802,460
Montana$58,800200
Florida$57,08040
Nebraska$53,34040
Indiana$51,740100
Michigan$51,720290
Ohio$51,230450
South Dakota$50,37040
New Mexico$50,0002,220
Alabama$49,40070
Mississippi$49,240420
Colorado$49,0501,620
California$48,880660
Utah$48,270740
Pennsylvania$47,5201,610
Oklahoma$47,2602,730
Wyoming$46,6601,180
Illinois$46,500290
Kansas$46,220570
Texas$45,95024,430
Arkansas$44,960120
Louisiana$44,8503,460

How to become a roustabout

The BLS handbook profile covers oil and gas workers as a wider group, so some of the training details below describe that group[15].

Certification may help or be required for some jobs[21]. A commercial driver's license is listed for some other oil and gas jobs, such as derrick operators and drillers, not for roustabouts specifically[22].

What roustabouts do

Roustabouts assemble or repair oil field equipment with hand and power tools, and they take on other tasks as needed[23]. Typical tasks include:

Workers report titles such as oil field roustabout, floor hand and rig hand[25].

Where they work

The handbook text describes oil and gas workers as a group[15]. Support activities for mining was the largest employer of that group, at 72% in 2025[26]. Workers often travel, at times to far-off sites, and are outdoors in any weather. Some work at great heights or in tight spaces, and the work can be physically demanding and noisy[27]. Workers usually wear protective gear such as hardhats, hearing and eye protection and safety harnesses[28].

Most work full time, and some put in over 40 hours in a week[29]. Some crews on offshore rigs or in remote areas can be away from home for weeks and put in long shifts every day of the week, and time off can follow[29]. Being comfortable at heights and working well in a crew are listed as important qualities[30][31].

Job outlook

Employment is projected to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 45,500 to 47,100 jobs[5]. For all occupations, projected growth is 3.5%[32]. That puts roustabouts about level with the average.

BLS projects about 4,100 openings a year[6]. Openings include jobs that come up when workers retire or move to other work, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 2.4% of workers leave the labor force and 6.1% move to a different occupation[33].

The wage survey counted about 44,970 wage and salary roustabouts in May 2025[34]. Only 0.5% were self-employed in 2025[35].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job with no formal education or experience requirement and on-the-job training[2]. Pay is a little below the all-occupation median, and where you work matters, with Texas holding most of the jobs[1][4][12]. The work can mean travel, outdoor conditions, and long shifts for some crews[27][29]. Growth is about level with the average[5][32].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[36].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a roustabout make an hour?
The median was $22.58 an hour in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $17.51 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $31.03[8].
Do you need a degree to be a roustabout?
No. No formal educational credential is typically needed[2].
Is a roustabout job in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 3.6%, against 3.5% for all occupations[5][32]. About 4,100 openings are projected each year[6].
What is the highest paying state for roustabouts?
Among the 23 states with published data, Alaska had the highest median at $60,810 a year, followed by North Dakota at $60,480[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas in the US was $46,960 per year and $22.58 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: 10th percentile $36,420, 25th percentile $38,850, 75th percentile $58,120, 90th percentile $64,530. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Roustabouts, Oil and Gas is projected to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 45,500 to 47,100 jobs (a change of +1,700). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 4,100 openings for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas was $49,200 per year and $23.65 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: 10th percentile $17.51, 25th percentile $18.68, 75th percentile $27.94, 90th percentile $31.03. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Roustabouts, Oil and Gas jobs: Texas 24,430; Louisiana 3,460; Oklahoma 2,730; North Dakota 2,460; New Mexico 2,220. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (areas with at least 100 jobs): Tyler, TX $55,000; Bakersfield-Delano, CA $52,640; Traverse City, MI $51,720; Minot, ND $50,490; Lafayette, LA $49,970; Oklahoma City, OK $49,930; Farmington, NM $48,970; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $48,790. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Roustabouts, Oil and Gas jobs: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 5,850 (median $47,260); Midland, TX 3,940 (median $47,180); Odessa, TX 2,060 (median $45,650); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,740 (median $48,030); Greeley, CO 910 (median $48,540); Lafayette, LA 910 (median $49,970). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Oil and Gas Workers" covers Roustabouts, Oil and Gas together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET description of Roustabouts, Oil and Gas. O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET task list for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET 47-5071.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Field Service Roustabout, Floor Hand, Oil and Gas Roustabout, Oil Field Roustabout, Production Roustabout, Rig Hand, Roustabout, Roustabout Crew Pusher. O*NET OnLine
  26. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of oil and gas workers in 2025: Support activities for mining 72%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  33. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: 2.4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 44,970 people were employed as Roustabouts, Oil and Gas in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  35. BLS Employment Projections: 0.5% of Roustabouts, Oil and Gas were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  36. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the 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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.