Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of oil and gas derrick operators to grow 1.6% from 2025 to 2035 (about 200 more jobs), with about 900 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $58,620 a year ranks 450th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +1.6%
- Openings a year
- 900
- Median pay
- $58,620
- Pay rank
- 450th of 825
Is employment of oil and gas derrick operators growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of oil and gas derrick operators to rise 1.6% (about 200 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +5.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 60 construction and extraction occupations with a projection. That change ranks 516th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 10,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 10,900 |
| Projected change | +1.6% |
| Openings a year | 900 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 10,700 jobs here differ from the 10,590 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 900 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 679th most of 830 occupations. About 98% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 20 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for oil and gas derrick operators rank?
The median of $58,620 a year ranks 450th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: no formal educational credential.
- Work experience in a related occupation: less than 5 years.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | +0.8% | 1,100 | $67,890 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | +3.6% | 4,100 | $46,960 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | +1.7% | 700 | $47,730 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | +3.6% | 1,400 | $60,190 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | +1.1% | 3,800 | $58,160 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | +4.6% | 39,200 | $59,850 |
| Pile Driver Operators | -5.7% | 200 | $73,300 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | +3.2% | 1,400 | $61,810 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.