Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Roustabouts in oil and gas work in a hands-on, physically demanding occupation that supports energy operations. Nationally, there are about 46,000 workers in this role, with a national median annual salary of $47,510. The field is projected to grow by 2.5%, with around 4,000 annual openings, indicating a steady stream of opportunities for new and experienced workers. The role emphasizes physical strength and stamina, mechanical abilities, fine motor skills, and problem solving, making it a practical fit for people who like active, task-focused work. Interpersonal skills, customer service, leadership, and project management also appear among the top skills, suggesting opportunities to take on more responsibility over time. With no formal educational credential typically required, this occupation can offer a relatively accessible entry point into the oil and gas sector while still providing the potential to build a broad skill set and explore related careers such as construction laborers or equipment cleaners.
The national median annual salary for roustabouts in oil and gas is $47,510, with pay varying across states and metro areas. Among the highlighted states, North Dakota stands out with a median salary of $60,480, notably higher than California at $48,880, Colorado at $49,050, Texas at $45,950, and Pennsylvania at $47,520. At the metro level, Columbus, OH shows a particularly high median salary of $66,940 compared with Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $48,790 and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $47,260. These differences show that location can significantly affect earning potential within this occupation. Areas with higher salaries may be attractive for workers willing to relocate, while other regions may appeal due to different combinations of salary, employment levels, and opportunity scores. Because no formal education is typically required, the earnings can be compelling for individuals entering the workforce directly.
Roustabouts in oil and gas have a national employment level of 46,000 workers and are projected to see 2.5% employment growth. This projected growth, combined with about 4,000 annual openings, suggests that openings will come from both new positions and turnover in existing jobs. The consistent 2.5% growth rate also appears across the listed states and metro areas, indicating a uniform projected growth pattern in the highlighted regions. States such as Texas, North Dakota, California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania all show this same projected growth rate, as do metro areas like Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. For job seekers, this means opportunities are likely to remain available in multiple parts of the country, allowing some flexibility in where to pursue work. The combination of steady growth and recurring annual openings can support both new entrants to the field and those seeking to move between locations or employers.
Location plays an important role in opportunities for roustabouts, both in terms of pay and overall CareerGPS opportunity score. Among states, California has the highest opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $48,880 and employment of 660. Colorado follows with an opportunity score of 56.97 and a median salary of $49,050. Texas combines the largest employment level at 24,430 with a 51.57 opportunity score and a median salary of $45,950, making it a major employment center for this occupation. North Dakota offers the highest listed state median salary at $60,480 and an opportunity score of 48.53, while Pennsylvania has a 47.45 score and median salary of $47,520. At the metro level, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has the top opportunity score of 62.99, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands in Texas offer strong employment levels. Columbus, OH stands out for its $66,940 median salary, the highest among the featured metros.
The typical education requirement for roustabouts in oil and gas is no formal educational credential, making this occupation accessible to individuals who want to enter the workforce without completing a traditional degree or certificate program. Even without a formal education requirement, the role draws on a wide range of skills. Physical strength and stamina are important, as are mechanical, fine motor, and science skills. Problem solving and decision making also rank highly, indicating that workers need to make sound judgments on the job. Interpersonal and customer service skills, along with leadership and project management, suggest opportunities to coordinate with others and potentially take on more responsibility over time. Creativity and innovation round out the skill profile, pointing to value in finding new ways to approach work tasks. For career changers and new entrants, building these practical and interpersonal skills can support advancement within this occupation or movement into related roles such as construction laborers or equipment cleaners.
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