Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay in the U.S.
$72,130avg. a year
$34.68 an hour · 12,600 employed
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in the U.S. earn an average of $72,130 a year and a median of $67,890. Pay is highest in Alaska ($94,040) and lowest in Kentucky ($41,720).
$67,890Median pay
$34.68Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
12,600Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for rotary drill operators, oil and gas
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1130 jobs
Alaska
$94,040
$45.21 an hour
2580 jobs
New Mexico
$80,120
$38.52 an hour
3230 jobs
North Dakota
$79,670
$38.30 an hour
4460 jobs
California
$79,290
$38.12 an hour
55,980 jobs
Texas
$78,700
$37.84 an hour
6110 jobs
Colorado
$77,110
$37.07 an hour
740 jobs
Alabama
$74,520
$35.83 an hour
850 jobs
New York
$74,440
$35.79 an hour
940 jobs
Nebraska
$73,900
$35.53 an hour
10200 jobs
Wyoming
$69,970
$33.64 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $60k$60k–$65k$65k–$75k$75k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $88,240 | $42.43 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $83,290 | $40.04 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $81,660 | $39.26 |
| Midland, TX | $80,720 | $38.81 |
| Odessa, TX | $68,690 | $33.03 |
| Tulsa, OK | $60,790 | $29.22 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $59,460 | $28.59 |
| Lafayette, LA | $46,760 | $22.48 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $74,520 | $67,400 | 40 |
| Alaska | $94,040 | $85,470 | 130 |
| Arizona | $64,700 | $62,920 | 30 |
| Arkansas | $45,870 | $37,700 | 70 |
| California | $79,290 | $65,520 | 460 |
| Colorado | $77,110 | $79,830 | 110 |
| Florida | $65,060 | $61,970 | 180 |
| Kansas | $57,710 | $60,600 | 130 |
| Kentucky | $41,720 | $38,520 | 30 |
| Louisiana | $55,220 | $49,410 | 910 |
| Michigan | $60,310 | $54,020 | 70 |
| Mississippi | $62,420 | $67,290 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $73,900 | $79,140 | 40 |
| New Mexico | $80,120 | $82,780 | 580 |
| New York | $74,440 | $67,000 | 50 |
| North Carolina | $58,370 | $57,760 | 50 |
| North Dakota | $79,670 | $71,280 | 230 |
| Ohio | $64,970 | $63,600 | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $60,770 | $55,160 | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,660 | $61,780 | 390 |
| Tennessee | $62,480 | $58,780 | 40 |
| Texas | $78,700 | $77,840 | 5,980 |
| Utah | $69,480 | $70,400 | – |
| Virginia | $62,470 | $61,410 | 110 |
| West Virginia | $57,540 | $57,020 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $69,970 | $61,000 | 200 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$88,240
2,100 jobsOklahoma City, OK
$59,460
1,040 jobsMidland, TX
$80,720
490 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$81,660
470 jobsLafayette, LA
$46,760
400 jobsOdessa, TX
$68,690
230 jobsTulsa, OK
$60,790
220 jobsBakersfield-Delano, CA
$83,290
190 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do rotary drill operators, oil and gas make?
The average is $72,130 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $67,890 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $34.68, and the median is $32.64 an hour.
Which state pays rotary drill operators, oil and gas the most?
Alaska, with an average of $94,040 a year. The best-paying metro area is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $88,240.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47,010 a year, and the top 10% earn over $101,860.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 47-5012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.