Occupation overview

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for service unit operators, oil and gas is $58,160, or $27.96 per hour. About 43,140 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $106,480 in Alaska to $28,280 in Kentucky.

Median annual
$58,160
Median hourly
$27.96
Entry level (P10)
$38,940
Top 10% (P90)
$97,560
Employment
43,140
States covered
27

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$38,940
$47,480
$58,160
$73,230
$38,940$58,160$97,560
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $58,160.

Salary by state

All 27 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Alaska$106,480$51.191,09012.03
2Missouri$90,580$43.55800.10
3Montana$77,750$37.383102.19
4New Mexico$64,990$31.252,60010.75
5Nebraska$62,990$30.28300.12
6California$62,580$30.092,8200.56
7Wyoming$62,560$30.0882010.53
8Florida$62,050$29.832000.07
9Ohio$61,260$29.459300.61
10North Dakota$60,810$29.243,00025.16
11Louisiana$60,760$29.213,1305.84
12Colorado$60,290$28.982,9303.68
13Indiana$56,980$27.39——
14Oklahoma$56,680$27.252,9806.30
15Utah$56,290$27.061,0602.20
16West Virginia$56,250$27.045802.97
17Pennsylvania$54,780$26.341,5200.90
18Michigan$52,000$25.002300.19
19South Dakota$49,920$24.00400.32
20Texas$49,820$23.9516,8204.31
21Mississippi$49,610$23.852500.77
22Alabama$49,490$23.791700.29
23Arkansas$48,120$23.142200.61
24Kansas$46,230$22.233700.93
25New York$45,750$21.991000.04
26Illinois$41,680$20.042200.13
27Kentucky$28,280$13.602100.39

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do service unit operators, oil and gas make?

The median annual wage for service unit operators, oil and gas in the United States is $58,160, or $27.96 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $38,940, and the top 10% earn $97,560.

How many service unit operators, oil and gas are employed in the U.S.?

About 43,140 people work as service unit operators, oil and gas nationwide.

Which state pays service unit operators, oil and gas the most?

Alaska pays the most at a median of $106,480, followed by Missouri ($90,580) and Montana ($77,750).

Which state pays service unit operators, oil and gas the least?

Kentucky has the lowest median at $28,280.

Where are service unit operators, oil and gas jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is North Dakota at 25.16×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes