Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas in the Lafayette Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas pay in Lafayette, LA at a median of $47,020 per year ($22.61/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $58,160, the metro estimate is 19% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 500 service unit operators, oil and gas are employed across the Lafayette MSA in SOC 47-5013.

The Lafayette pay distribution spans from $38,150 at the 10th percentile to $78,600 at the 90th, a 2.1× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $42,600 and the 75th at $61,670, so half of Lafayette-based service unit operators, oil and gas earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Lafayette, LA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide LA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.