Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 47-5011

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

O*NET task statements lead this Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Electricians, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) , Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($63K) , Electricians ($63K) , Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-5011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered
  2. 2. Inspect derricks for flaws, and clean and oil derricks to maintain proper working conditions
  3. 3. Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid
  4. 4. Repair pumps, mud tanks, and related equipment
  5. 5. Set and bolt crown blocks to posts at tops of derricks
  6. 6. Listen to mud pumps and check regularly for vibration and other problems to ensure that rig pumps and drilling mud systems are working pr…
  7. 7. Start pumps that circulate mud through drill pipes and boreholes to cool drill bits and flush out drill cuttings
  8. 8. Position and align derrick elements, using harnesses and platform climbing devices
  9. 9. Supervise crew members, and provide assistance in training them
  10. 10. Guide lengths of pipe into and out of elevators
  11. 11. Prepare mud reports, and instruct crews about the handling of any chemical additives
  12. 12. Clamp holding fixtures on ends of hoisting cables

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-5011 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.0
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.9
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.5
  4. 4. Speaking 3.4
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.4
  6. 6. Repairing 3.4
  7. 7. Active Listening 3.3
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.6
  2. 2. Mathematics 3.3
  3. 3. English Language 3.2
  4. 4. Education and Training 3.0
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 2.8
  6. 6. Transportation 2.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$58,620
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered
$59K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
1,000
Annual openings
10,590
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Highest-pay peer · $80K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential
Related experience Less than 5 years

Top Paying States for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

1. North Dakota $71,850
2. Oklahoma $58,270
3. Colorado $64,730
4. Florida $64,950
5. New Mexico $59,570
6. Wyoming $76,750
7. Pennsylvania $59,720
8. Utah $56,980
9. Louisiana $86,980
10. Alaska $78,050

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Electricians $63,190
  2. 2. Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas $67,890
  3. 3. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  5. 5. Pile Driver Operators $73,300
  6. 6. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas (SOC 47-5011). The national OEWS median is $58,620 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Electricians, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas. Lead published task: Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: North Dakota at $71,850. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas pay-rank #25 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas sits at pay-rank #25 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-5011 · national median $58,620 · middle third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#25/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-5011

North Dakota · top state for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

$72K published median

Oklahoma · #2 state pay

$58K · behind North Dakota

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · $80K

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · $63K

Compare Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #25 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Insulation Workers, Mechanical ($58K), Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers ($59K), Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers ($59K), Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas ($58K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do derrick operators, oil and gas do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas. Leading ones include: Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered; Inspect derricks for flaws, and clean and oil derricks to maintain proper working conditions; Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid; Repair pumps, mud tanks, and related equipment. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for derrick operators, oil and gas? ▼
For SOC 47-5011, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.0), Operation and Control (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.5), Speaking (3.4). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $58,620 as the national median for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas. The published 10th-90th range is $43,380 to $81,800. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 1,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas. Related-work-experience category: less than 5 years. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas? ▼
North Dakota ($71,850), Oklahoma ($58,270), Colorado ($64,730) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-5011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics