BLS metro-level wage data places Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at a median of $79,450 per year ($38.20/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $67,890, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays +17% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 2,100 rotary drill operators, oil and gass are employed across the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands MSA in SOC 47-5012.

The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pay distribution spans from $51,400 at the 10th percentile to $134,860 at the 90th — a 2.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $65,240 and the 75th at $99,240, so half of Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands-based rotary drill operators, oil and gass earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TX data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.