How much does a roustabouts, oil and gas make?

The median roustabouts, oil and gas salary in the United States is $46,960 per year ($22.58/hour). Salaries range from $36,420 (10th percentile) to $64,530 (90th percentile). There are 44,970 roustabouts, oil and gas jobs in the U.S. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.

Which state pays roustabouts, oil and gass the most?

The highest paying state for roustabouts, oil and gass is Alaska at $60,810 median salary.

Is roustabouts, oil and gas a good career?

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas employment is projected to grow 2.5% from 2024 to 2034 (as fast as average). There are approximately 4,300 job openings per year. Typical education required: No formal educational credential.

What interview questions are asked for roustabouts, oil and gas roles?

Common roustabouts, oil and gas interview questions include: "Walk me through the shift-start JSA + toolbox meeting at a Permian Basin well pad.", "You detect H2S on your personal monitor at 15 ppm on the drill floor. What do you do?", "Describe the hardest hitch you worked and what you learned.". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example Halliburton typically uses 3-4 rounds over 2-3 weeks.

What is the career ladder for roustabouts, oil and gass?

The typical roustabouts, oil and gas career ladder: Entry-Level Roustabout / Floorhand (0-3 yrs, $30-42k salaried equivalent + overtime + hitch differentials at $18-24/hr non-union or $22-30/hr operator direct-hire) → Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman (3-7 yrs, $46-64k salaried + overtime + hitch differential + benefits + retention bonus) → Field Service Supervisor / Field Superintendent (6-13 yrs, $64-92k salaried + 8-12% bonus + benefits + retention bonus + LTIP eligibility at Fortune-500 service company) → District Manager / Field Operations Manager (12-20 yrs, $135-235k+ salaried + 15-20% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro scale).

What certifications should roustabouts, oil and gass get?

Top-ROI certifications for roustabouts, oil and gass: SafeLandUSA + SafeGulf + IADC RigPass ($100-350 stack (typically employer-paid)); H2S Alive (Enform CA + PEC US) ($150-300); IADC WellSharp introductory + supervisor ($400-900 per tier).

How do you negotiate a roustabouts, oil and gas salary?

Anchor on documented market data (BLS median $46,960, p75 $58,120), specific outcomes you've delivered, and the specific band for your years of experience. Thank you for the offer — I'm excited about the field-service-supervisor role and the Delaware Basin district scope. Based on my Permian Basin + Bakken district experience, my zero-recordable record across 620 crew-days,...

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary

The median roustabouts, oil and gas salary in the United States is $46,960 per year ($22.58/hour). Salaries range from $36,420 at the entry level to $64,530+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 44,970 roustabouts, oil and gas jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 2.5% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary

$46,960

per year

Hourly Rate

$22.58

per hour

Employment

44,970

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$36,420

25th percentile

$38,850

Median

$46,960

75th percentile

$58,120

90th percentile

$64,530

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+2.5%

As fast as average

Annual Openings

4,300

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

No formal educational credential

Training Needed

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for roustabouts, oil and gass.

Roustabouts (BLS SOC 47-5071) are the general-labor workforce at onshore + offshore oil-and-gas well sites — moving pipe, tubing, casing, and rig equipment on the drill floor and well pad, digging trenches, cleaning tanks, pit and mud tank prep, tank battery + separator + heater treater maintenance, and rigging + unrigging support gear for the drill crew, workover crew, wireline crew, and completions crew. Typical seats: field roustabout at Halliburton, Schlumberger (SLB), BJ Energy Solutions, Weatherford International, Baker Hughes, ProPetro Services, Basic Energy Services, Key Energy Services, Ranger Energy Services, C&J Energy Services, and the pumping / cementing / wireline / coiled-tubing / workover service lines of the majors + independents; direct field-labor seats at operators like ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum, EOG Resources, Pioneer Natural Resources (now ExxonMobil), Devon Energy, Diamondback Energy, Coterra Energy, Marathon Oil, Continental Resources, and Ovintiv on Permian Basin, Bakken, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Haynesville, DJ Basin, Anadarko / SCOOP-STACK, and Uinta plays. BLS reports 27,190 employed with a median of $46,960 (mean $44,970), p10 $30,660, p90 $70,900+. Entry $30-42k; established $46-64k; lead + supervisor $64-92k; field-service supervisor + field superintendent $85-135k+; district + field-operations manager $135-235k+ + bonus + LTIP. The single biggest earnings lever is stacking IADC WellCAP + IADC WellSharp + H2S Alive + PEC SafeLandUSA + OSHA 10 + 30 + confined-space + rig-pass + defensive-driving credentials, layering rig-crew experience (floorhand → derrickhand → driller track) or workover-crew experience, and moving into a field-service supervisor / rig manager seat at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro + operator direct-hire scale in a Tier-1 basin (Permian Delaware + Midland, Bakken, Marcellus).

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

OSHA 1910.119 PSM + 1926 construction + rig operations safety

OSHA Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (29 CFR 1910.119) applies at refinery + gas processing + tank battery scale; upstream well-site work primarily governed by 29 CFR 1926 (construction industry) + API RP 54 (Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations) + API RP 76 (Contractor Safety Management for Oil and Natural Gas Drilling and Production Operations). SafeLandUSA + PEC (Petroleum Education Council) SafeGulf + SafeLand basic orientation required by nearly every operator + service company; H2S Alive (Enform CA + PEC US) required at H2S-sour gas locations; OSHA 10-hour + 30-hour construction industry safety cards; confined-space entry per 29 CFR 1910.146 for tank + separator + vessel entry; rig-pass + IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors) RigPass or SafeLandUSA rig-orientation cards.

IADC WellCAP + WellSharp + well-control fundamentals

IADC WellCAP (legacy well-control certification) or the current IADC WellSharp program — introductory (roustabout / floorhand) + supervisor (driller / toolpusher) tiers; MMS / BSEE well-control equivalency for offshore. Well-control fundamentals — primary control (hydrostatic mud + brine weight), secondary control (BOP stack — annular preventer, pipe rams, blind-shear rams, choke + kill manifold), tertiary control (well-kill procedures — driller's method, wait-and-weight, volumetric method). Kick detection — pit level gain, flow-line increase, drilling break, gas cut mud, connection gas. Shut-in procedures — hard shut-in vs soft shut-in per company policy. Rig-floor coordination during a kick event — roustabout role is deck safety, escape-route clearance, and support gear response.

Rig-floor + drill-string + tripping-pipe support (roustabout-tier tasks)

Drill floor + rig floor layout — drill floor deck, monkey board, doghouse, driller's console (rotary + drawworks + mud pump controls + BOP controls), V-door, catwalk, pipe rack, mud pit + shale shaker + degasser + desander + desilter. Tripping pipe support — laying joints on the catwalk + V-door, pulling slips + tongs off the racking board, mousing pipe, hanging joints in the derrick or racking board, rigging + un-rigging tongs + slips + elevators + spinning chain. Coordination with the driller + derrickhand + motorhand + floorhand crew. Rigging + un-rigging support gear for the wireline + coiled-tubing + workover + cementing + pumping units that arrive on location for completions + workover phases.

Well pad + tank battery + separator + heater treater maintenance

Well pad + tank battery layout — wellhead + Christmas tree + flowline + separator + heater treater + gunbarrel + oil tank + water tank + gas dehydrator + LACT (Lease Automatic Custody Transfer) unit + vapor recovery + flare stack. Tank + separator + heater treater cleaning + gauging + strapping + sampling; ThioPaq + iron sulfide + BS&W (basic sediment and water) sludge disposal; H2S monitoring at every open-vessel entry. LACT unit tank-gauging + BS&W measurement + Coriolis meter proving support. Flowline + gathering pipeline right-of-way clearing + fence + gate + cattle-guard maintenance.

H2S + hydrocarbon exposure + hot work + PPE discipline

H2S (hydrogen sulfide) is a Tier-1 fatal-exposure risk at sour-gas + sour-oil locations — permissible exposure limit (PEL) 20 ppm ceiling under OSHA general industry, 10 ppm 8-hr TWA + 15 ppm 15-min STEL at gas processing + refinery scope; H2S at 100 ppm is IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health); H2S at 500-700 ppm causes rapid unconsciousness + death within minutes. Personal H2S monitors (RAE Systems ToxiRAE + Industrial Scientific + Dräger + MSA Altair) mandatory at every sour-gas location; SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) mustering + escape-air packs at high-risk locations. Hot work permit + gas-testing + LOTO per OSHA 1910.147 + API RP 2009 for welding + cutting + grinding at hydrocarbon exposure. Full PPE — FR (flame-resistant) coveralls per NFPA 2112, hard hat, safety glasses + face shield, steel-toe boots, gloves, H2S monitor, hearing protection.

Rigging + hoisting + crane + heavy-lift discipline

Rigging + hoisting per OSHA 1926 Subpart CC + API Spec 8C + API RP 8B — inspection + tagout of slings, shackles, wire rope, hooks + swivels + spreader bars; sling angle + load angle factor calculation; crane hand signals per ANSI/ASME B30.5; crane operator NCCCO or state certification (crane operator, not roustabout, but the roustabout is signal person + rigger + tag-line handler). Rig-up + rig-down of workover rig, wireline unit, pumping unit, coiled-tubing unit, snubbing unit — matting + guy wires + anchors + tie-downs + pump line + treating iron rig-up + pressure test per API Spec 6A / 16C / 17D iron rating.

DOT + PHMSA transportation + HM-181 hazmat + dedicated-CDL discipline

DOT + PHMSA hazardous-materials transportation for produced water + crude + condensate + drilling fluid + acid + fracturing fluid — HM-181 hazmat classification + placarding + shipping paper + emergency response plan; DOT medical card + drug + alcohol program per 49 CFR Part 382 + 391; Class-A CDL + hazmat + tanker endorsement often required at operator + service-company driver-track hire; roustabouts on trucking-adjacent seats often layer these on. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) hours-of-service + electronic logging device (ELD) compliance at trucking-adjacent seats.

Basin + play + operator-specific work-order + JSA (job safety analysis) discipline

Every task on a well pad or drill site starts with a JSA (job safety analysis) + work-order + permit-to-work (PTW) discipline; operators + service companies use SAP + WorkPro + Enablon + Enverus + Sphera + Intelex EHS + Cority + Origami HSE systems for JSA + incident reporting + audit tracking. Basin-specific hazards — Permian Basin (H2S at sour zones, produced-water salinity, extreme heat, rattlesnakes + scorpions), Bakken (extreme cold + wind chill, remote-location response, gas flaring capture + North Dakota Industrial Commission rules), Marcellus (steep terrain, mountain-road access, high-pressure completions), Haynesville (extreme heat, high-pressure gas, deep completions), Eagle Ford (H2S at Karnes + DeWitt trend, condensate handling), DJ Basin (Colorado ozone + Regulation 7 setbacks + noise + wildlife setbacks).

How to Become a Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

1
High school diploma or GED — Bachelor's not required at entry
Entry is high school + trade path; some field supervisors + field superintendents layer on associate + bachelor's degrees in Petroleum Technology, Occupational Safety and Health, or Petroleum Engineering (Texas State Technical College, Ranger College, Odessa College, Midland College, Bismarck State College, University of Wyoming, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana State University Alexandria, Texas A&M Kingsville, University of Houston-Downtown, New Mexico Junior College).
2
Complete SafeLandUSA + SafeGulf + IADC RigPass + H2S Alive + OSHA 10 orientation stack
Base credential stack — SafeLandUSA (PEC Premier + PEC Basic) + SafeGulf (offshore) + IADC RigPass or SafeLandUSA rig-orientation + H2S Alive + OSHA 10-hour construction + hazwoper 24-hour (if RCRA / Superfund adjacent) + confined-space entry + fall protection + rigging-and-signal person + defensive driving + first-aid + CPR + AED. Most stacks are $300-1,200 total, typically employer-paid at hire at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro + operator direct-hire; roustabouts frequently pay their own way at smaller regional service companies + owner-operators.
3
Start as entry-level Roustabout / Floorhand at $30-42k + overtime + full benefits
First seat — typically at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro + BJ Energy + Basic Energy + Key Energy + Ranger Energy at $18-24/hr + 60-80 hr weeks + hitch schedule (14 on / 7 off, 20 on / 10 off, or 7 on / 7 off depending on basin + company). Operator direct-hire at ExxonMobil + Chevron + ConocoPhillips + Oxy + EOG + Devon + Diamondback + Coterra at $22-30/hr + full benefits + retirement match at operator scale. Union work at IUOE (International Union of Operating Engineers) + LIUNA + Boilermakers + Pipe-fitters at select refining + gas-processing + midstream adjacencies pays 15-30% premium + full CBA benefits.
4
Add specialty endorsements + rig-crew or workover-crew step-up track
Rig-crew step-up track — Roustabout → Floorhand → Motorhand → Derrickhand → Driller → Toolpusher → Rig Superintendent + Drilling Superintendent. Workover-crew step-up track — Roustabout → Floorhand → Workover Operator → Workover Supervisor → Field Service Supervisor + Field Superintendent. Wireline / coiled-tubing / pumping / cementing service-line track — Roustabout / Field Helper → Field Engineer or Field Specialist → Field Service Supervisor → District Manager. Some roustabouts detour into a CDL + hazmat + tanker endorsement + move into a produced-water or crude-transport driver seat at $65-95k + full benefits + retention bonus.
5
Advance to Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman at $46-64k + overtime + benefits
3-6 years in seat. Own a small crew (2-6 roustabouts) at a well pad, tank battery, or workover site; interface with company man (operator's on-site representative), toolpusher (drilling contractor's on-site supervisor), wireline / cementing / pumping / coiled-tubing service-line supervisor, and third-party trucking + water-hauling + hot-shot service providers. Own the daily JSA + PTW + toolbox meeting + incident-reporting discipline.
6
Advance to Field Service Supervisor / Field Superintendent at $64-92k + bonus + LTIP + benefits
6-12 years in seat. Own a district + multiple well-pad or multi-rig field operation; direct-manage 4-15 lead roustabouts + crew foremen + 25-90 field personnel; interface with the district manager, the operator's drilling + completions + production superintendent, and the third-party service-line + trucking + water-hauling supplier base. Own the district safety + compliance record — OSHA recordable + DART rate + EMR + spill + incident + workers-comp exposure.
7
Advance to District Manager / Field Operations Manager at $135-235k+ + bonus + LTIP
12-20 years in seat. Own district or multi-district operations at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro + operator direct scope; direct-manage 5-25 field service supervisors + field superintendents; interface with the regional VP + corporate operations + major-account operator relationships. LTIP + equity comp becomes meaningful at Fortune-500 service company scope.
8
Advance to Regional VP / VP Operations at $215-425k+ base + LTIP + equity
20+ years in seat. Own regional operations at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro + Baker Hughes scale — 8-40 districts + 500-3,500 field personnel + $150M-$1.2B revenue P&L. Report to Chief Operating Officer + Board; interface with major operator accounts (ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Occidental, EOG, Pioneer, Diamondback, Devon) + Wall Street analyst community at earnings calls.

Career Progression

Entry-Level Roustabout / Floorhand

0-3 yrs$30-42k salaried equivalent + overtime + hitch differentials at $18-24/hr non-union or $22-30/hr operator direct-hire

•Execute general field labor on well pad, tank battery, and rig-floor tasks under supervisor direction
•Assist rigging + un-rigging + rig-up + rig-down of workover, wireline, coiled-tubing, pumping, and cementing units
•Tank + separator + heater treater cleaning + gauging + BS&W measurement + fluid transfer support
•Complete daily JSA + PTW + toolbox-meeting + incident-reporting discipline; PPE + H2S monitor + FR coverall discipline

Next: Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman at 3-6 years with SafeLandUSA + H2S Alive + IADC RigPass + OSHA 10 + rigging + signal-person + basic well-control.

Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman

3-7 yrs$46-64k salaried + overtime + hitch differential + benefits + retention bonus

•Own a 2-6 roustabout crew at a well pad, tank battery, or workover site day-to-day
•Interface with the company man (operator on-site rep), toolpusher (drilling contractor on-site supervisor), and third-party service-line supervisors
•Own the daily JSA + PTW + toolbox meeting + safety-observation + incident-reporting discipline
•Support the field service supervisor on the daily field operations report + operator work-order documentation

Next: Field Service Supervisor / Field Superintendent at 6-11 years with IADC WellSharp + advanced well-control + supervisor endorsements.

Field Service Supervisor / Field Superintendent

6-13 yrs$64-92k salaried + 8-12% bonus + benefits + retention bonus + LTIP eligibility at Fortune-500 service company

•Own a district or multi-pad field operation; direct-manage 4-15 lead roustabouts + crew foremen + 25-90 field personnel
•Interface with district manager, operator drilling + completions + production superintendents, and third-party service-line + trucking + water-hauling suppliers
•Own district safety + compliance record — OSHA recordable + DART rate + EMR + spill + incident + workers-comp exposure
•P&L ownership for district labor cost + equipment utilization + operator satisfaction score

Next: District Manager / Field Operations Manager at 12-18 years.

District Manager / Field Operations Manager

12-20 yrs$135-235k+ salaried + 15-20% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro scale

•Own district or multi-district operations at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro + operator direct scope
•Direct-manage 5-25 field service supervisors + field superintendents + 200-800 field personnel + $30-180M revenue P&L
•Interface with regional VP + corporate operations + major-account operator relationships (ExxonMobil, Chevron, EOG, Diamondback, Devon)
•Own district safety + compliance record + OSHA VPP status at flagship sites

Next: Regional VP / VP Operations at 18-24 years.

Regional VP / VP Operations / Chief Operating Officer

20+ yrs$215-425k+ base + 20-30% bonus + LTIP + equity + full executive benefits at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro + Baker Hughes scale + $150M-$1.2B revenue P&L

•Own regional or enterprise operations at national scale — 8-40 districts + 500-3,500 field personnel + $150M-$1.2B revenue P&L
•Report to COO + Board; interface with major operator accounts + Wall Street analyst community + earnings-call commentary
•Corporate M&A + district acquisition + geographic expansion + service-line expansion (from workover into coiled tubing, wireline, pumping, cementing, snubbing, well-testing, artificial lift)
•Own enterprise safety + compliance record + OSHA VPP status + investor-relations narrative on safety + ESG metrics

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 6 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through the shift-start JSA + toolbox meeting at a Permian Basin well pad.technical

Structured. (1) Muster at the site trailer or company-man shack; sign in on the daily attendance + short-service-employee (SSE) log. (2) JSA (Job Safety Analysis) review — company-man briefs the scope of work for the shift (e.g., 'rig up cementing unit on Well #14, pump 340 sacks of Class-H cement, wash out and rig down'); walk through the JSA form line-by-line — task, hazard, control, PPE, permit-to-work; every crew member signs the JSA. (3) H2S briefing — company-man reviews sour-gas status of the pad (is this a sour zone? what's the wind direction? where's the wind sock? where's the muster point? where are the escape-air packs?); every crew member confirms personal H2S monitor is fit-tested + calibrated + at zero background. (4) PPE inspection — FR coveralls, hard hat, safety glasses, face shield if grinding or pressure testing, steel-toe boots, gloves, hearing protection, fall protection if working at height. (5) SSE (short-service-employee) verification — any crew member with less than 6 months in the seat is paired with a senior mentor; the pairing is documented on the JSA. (6) Emergency response review — muster point, evacuation routes, medivac + ambulance response time, radio channels, incident-command structure. (7) Stop-work authority reminder — every crew member has verbal stop-work authority for any unsafe condition or unfamiliar task; no repercussions for invoking. (8) Sign-off and start work. Interviewers screen for candidates who understand JSA + PTW discipline as culture, not paperwork.

Q2. You detect H2S on your personal monitor at 15 ppm on the drill floor. What do you do?situational

Immediate response. (1) Stop work and don your escape-air pack (5-15 minute egress-only SCBA) — do NOT try to work through it. (2) Move upwind to the pre-briefed muster point; take a headcount of your crew as you go. (3) Radio the company-man + toolpusher + driller with the location, concentration, and wind direction; sound the site H2S alarm if not already sounding. (4) Do NOT attempt rescue of a down man without SCBA + a rescue team — H2S at 500-700 ppm causes rapid unconsciousness + death within minutes and a rescuer without SCBA becomes a second victim. (5) Wait for the incident-command team to establish IDLH-atmosphere entry + rescue with full-air SCBA + rescue harness + escape line. (6) Post-incident — company-man + toolpusher lead a root-cause analysis: mud gas separator failed? annular preventer leaking? bradenhead pressure buildup? gas breakout at the shale shaker? separator or heater treater vent failure? drift-off to a nearby well tank battery vent? (7) Notify operator + service company HSE + report to regulator per state + federal reporting thresholds. Interviewers screen for candidates who invoke escape-air-pack + upwind muster + no-untrained-rescue immediately.

Q3. Describe the hardest hitch you worked and what you learned.behavioral

STAR. Situation: 14 on / 7 off hitch as roustabout crew foreman on a Devon Energy Delaware Basin pad in Loving County, TX during a July heat wave with a 108°F day-time high and a 92°F night-time low; simultaneous drilling + completions + workover on 3 well pads within 800 yards of each other. Task: keep the 8-person roustabout crew safe + productive across all 3 pads for 14 straight days with rotating 12-hour shifts. Action: (1) heat-illness prevention — hydration protocol (1 gallon of water + electrolyte replacement per person per shift, cool-down breaks every 2 hours in the site trailer AC, shade-shelter build at every work location); (2) shift-start + shift-end JSA + JHA reviews with explicit heat-illness signs-and-symptoms recognition (heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke); (3) buddy-system pairing on all 3 pads with radio check-in every 20 minutes; (4) H2S at Delaware Basin sour zones — 2 crew members reported personal monitors ticking at 8-12 ppm during a bradenhead pressure release on Well #6; evacuated + waited for company-man + operator HSE to complete a well-integrity check before returning; (5) rigging + un-rigging support for a workover rig + wireline unit + pump-down completion crew across the 3 pads; (6) documentation — daily field-ops report + incident + near-miss log + JSA archive. Result: 14-day hitch with zero recordable + zero heat illness + zero H2S exposure event + zero rigging incident + operator satisfaction score 5/5 from the Devon company-man; earned a $2,500 crew safety bonus. Interviewers screen for candidates who describe a real hitch, real basin, real hazards, real controls, and real outcomes.

Q4. Why oil-and-gas field work rather than construction, manufacturing, or trucking?culture

Honest answer. 'Pay is real — union scale + operator direct-hire + service-company hitch pay at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + ProPetro + Baker Hughes clears $65-95k at 3-5 years in seat with overtime + hitch differentials, and the step-up track (roustabout → floorhand → derrickhand → driller → toolpusher) or the field-supervisor track opens $85-135k at 6-10 years. Certification path is clear — SafeLandUSA + H2S Alive + IADC RigPass + WellSharp + OSHA 10 + 30 + rigging + signal-person is 4-8 weeks of stackable credentials that the field rewards with pay + scope. Work environment is what it is — hitch schedule, remote locations, weather extremes, H2S exposure, 60-80 hour weeks — but that's compensated in the pay envelope and the retention bonus + hitch differential structure. Long-term I want to move into a field-service supervisor or workover-supervisor seat in the Permian at Halliburton + SLB + operator direct-hire scope.' Interviewers screen for candidates who understand the trade-off honestly.

Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer

Show the fork clearly. Rig-crew step-up (roustabout → floorhand → derrickhand → driller → toolpusher at $65-115k) — the fastest pay path but 5-8 years to driller. Workover-crew step-up (roustabout → workover operator → workover supervisor at $58-92k) with a smaller unit + shorter learning curve. Field-service-supervisor track (lead roustabout → field service supervisor → field superintendent → district manager at $64-235k) at Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro service-line scope. Operator direct-hire track (roustabout → lease operator → pumper → field production superintendent at $55-125k) at ExxonMobil + Chevron + EOG + Diamondback + Devon operator direct-hire. Trucking + water-hauling detour (Class-A CDL + hazmat + tanker → crude-transport or produced-water driver at $65-95k) with less-remote schedule. I'm on the field-service-supervisor track. I've completed SafeLandUSA + H2S Alive + IADC RigPass + OSHA 30 + rigging-and-signal-person; next 12 months I'm targeting IADC WellSharp introductory + confined-space + supervisor endorsement + a lead roustabout seat in the Permian.

Resume Template — Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman (3-7 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Lead Roustabout / Crew Foreman (3-7 yrs)

▸Lead Roustabout at Halliburton Cementing + Pumping Permian Basin district covering 12 operator accounts + 34 active well pads on a 14 on / 7 off hitch; crew of 5 roustabouts across 2 shifts.
▸Zero OSHA recordable + zero DART incident + zero H2S exposure event over 620 crew-days as Lead Roustabout; district DART rate 1.1 vs 3.2 industry benchmark.
▸SafeLandUSA + H2S Alive + IADC WellSharp introductory + OSHA 10 + 30 + rigging-and-signal-person + confined-space + fall-protection + defensive-driving + first-aid + CPR current; state H2S + rig-pass endorsements for TX + NM.
▸$58k base + $18k overtime + $4.5k hitch differential + $3k retention bonus at $27/hr Halliburton Delaware Basin district scale + full company benefits.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Cannot cite SafeLandUSA + H2S Alive + IADC RigPass + OSHA 10 + basic well-control curriculum by name — signals candidate hasn't invested in the base credential stack that every operator + service company requires at hire.
✗History of OSHA-recordable + DART + H2S-exposure incidents on crews the candidate supervised — reference-check red flag; the industry EMR is a hard filter at operator + service-company prequalification.
✗No supervisor endorsement + IADC WellSharp track after 4+ years with career ambition beyond roustabout — the crew-foreman + field-service-supervisor track requires supervisor-tier well-control + rigging + confined-space + supervisor endorsements.
✗History of JSA + PTW + toolbox-meeting shortcuts — a candidate who talks about skipping the JSA is expensive at operator-audit + incident exposure.
✗Weak PPE + H2S-monitor + FR-coverall discipline — a candidate who talks about working without an FR coverall or without a calibrated personal H2S monitor is a workers-comp + operator-relations disaster.
✗Cannot articulate stop-work authority + immediate response to H2S detection or gas kick — the culture-of-safety flag at every oil-and-gas interview.
✗No hitch-schedule tolerance — a candidate who has bailed on 2-3 hitches without operator-approved reason is a retention red flag at every service company + operator direct-hire.
✗History of DOT + FMCSR + hours-of-service violations at trucking-adjacent seats — signals disregard for the transportation-safety discipline that anchors produced-water + crude + condensate + acid + fracturing-fluid movement.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Basin premium — Permian Delaware + Midland + Bakken + Marcellus + Haynesville pay 15-30% above Powder River + DJ + Anadarko + Uinta for the same seat + tenure; Tier-1 basin district assignment is the top pay lever.
✓Operator direct-hire premium — ExxonMobil + Chevron + ConocoPhillips + Occidental + EOG + Diamondback + Devon operator direct-hire pays 15-35% above Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro service-company scale + full retirement match + full medical + shorter hitch + shorter overtime week; harder to break in but the top pay lever at any tenure.
✓Union premium — IUOE + LIUNA + Boilermakers + Pipe-fitters at refining + gas-processing + midstream adjacencies pay 15-30% above non-union oilfield scale + full CBA benefits + pension + annuity + healthcare; union work is harder to find in most upstream service-company seats but the top benefit-package lever.
✓Supervisor + IADC WellSharp supervisor endorsement + supervisor-tier well-control — adds $6-14k at crew-foreman + field-service-supervisor promotion; supervisor + WellSharp supervisor + rigging + signal-person + confined-space + supervisor at once adds $12-22k.
✓Hitch premium — 14 on / 7 off + 20 on / 10 off + rotating 7-and-7 hitches at remote basins routinely include $18-45/day hitch differential + $75-125/day per-diem on out-of-basin + double-time overtime past 12-hour day + weekend + holiday differential.
✓Retention bonus — Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro routinely offer $2,500-8,000 annual retention bonus + $1,500-4,500 hitch-completion bonus at high-turnover districts + Tier-1 basin field-service supervisor seats.
✓CDL + hazmat + tanker endorsement premium — Class-A CDL + hazmat + tanker layered on the roustabout base opens produced-water + crude-transport + acid-transport driver seats at $65-95k + full benefits + retention bonus at Rex Trucking + Tulsa Transport + Kenan Transport + Groendyke Transport + operator direct-hire trucking arms.
✓Sign-on bonus — Lead Roustabout + Field Service Supervisor + Field Superintendent moves between Halliburton + SLB + Weatherford + Baker Hughes + ProPetro routinely negotiate $5,000-15,000 sign-on to offset unvested LTIP + relocation.
✓Overtime + double-time + weekend + holiday differential — the largest single lever in the pay envelope at every field seat; a Permian Basin roustabout on a 14 on / 7 off hitch with 78-hour work weeks + Sunday + holiday double-time routinely clears $58-78k on a $22/hr base scale.
✓Advanced service-line specialty — coiled tubing, snubbing, wireline, cementing, artificial lift, workover, well-testing — moving from roustabout into a specialty-service-line field-specialist track opens $65-105k at 3-5 years + LTIP + equity at Fortune-500 service company scope.

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Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$45K

$61K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
Alaska	$60,810	+29.5%	430
North Dakota	$60,480	+28.8%	2,460
Montana	$58,800	+25.2%	200
Florida	$57,080	+21.6%	40
Nebraska	$53,340	+13.6%	40
Indiana	$51,740	+10.2%	100
Michigan	$51,720	+10.1%	290
Ohio	$51,230	+9.1%	450
South Dakota	$50,370	+7.3%	40
New Mexico	$50,000	+6.5%	2,220

Showing 1–10 of 23

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$71,280	+51.8%
Columbus, OH	$66,940	+42.5%
Jackson, MS	$60,410	+28.6%
Wichita, KS	$57,600	+22.7%
Tyler, TX	$55,000	+17.1%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$52,640	+12.1%
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$52,320	+11.4%
Traverse City, MI	$51,720	+10.1%
Wheeling, WV-OH	$51,230	+9.1%
Minot, ND	$50,490	+7.5%

Showing 1–10 of 40

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A roustabouts, oil and gas earning $46,960/year would need 1269 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1363 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

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📈 See how roustabouts, oil and gas salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Roustabouts, Oil and Gas salary trend (2011–2024) →