Oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings begin at:

$37.41 per hour

$77,810 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings begin at:

$37.20 per hour

$77,380 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings begin at:

$29.14 per hour

$60,600 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings begin at:

$16.30 per hour

$33,900 per year

10th percentile

Starting level oil and gas rotary drill operator earnings begin at:

$14.91 per hour

$31,000 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Oil and gas rotary drill operator salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Alaska $85,470
New Mexico $82,780
Colorado $79,830
Nebraska $79,140
Texas $77,840
Indiana $71,540
North Dakota $71,280
Utah $70,400
Alabama $67,400
Mississippi $67,290
New York $67,000
California $65,520
Ohio $63,600
Arizona $62,920
Florida $61,970
Pennsylvania $61,780
Virginia $61,410
Wyoming $61,000
Kansas $60,600
Tennessee $58,780
North Carolina $57,760
West Virginia $57,020
Minnesota $56,660
Oklahoma $55,160
Maryland $55,060
Michigan $54,020
Louisiana $49,410
Montana $46,460
Illinois $44,210
Kentucky $38,520
Arkansas $37,700
Georgia $31,440

How do oil and gas rotary drill operator salaries compare to similar careers?

Oil and gas rotary drill operators earn about the same as related careers in Kansas. On average, they make less than wellhead pumpers but more than machinists.

Career Median Salary
Wellhead pumper salary $62K
Quality control inspector salary $65K
Chemical technician salary $62K
Avionics technician salary $60K
Radio mechanic salary $58K
Oil and gas rotary drill operator salary $61K
Auto body repairer salary $49K
Precious metal worker salary $58K
Gem worker salary $58K
Machinist salary $51K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)