Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of oil and gas rotary drill operators from 2025 to 2035 (+0.8%, about 100 more jobs), with about 1,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $67,890 a year ranks 334th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.8%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- Median pay
- $67,890
- Pay rank
- 334th of 825
Is employment of oil and gas rotary drill operators growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.8% employment change for oil and gas rotary drill operators from 2025 to 2035 (about 100 more jobs), 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 561st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 12,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 12,900 |
| Projected change | +0.8% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 1,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 12,700 jobs here differ from the 12,600 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 1,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 642nd most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 10 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for oil and gas rotary drill operators rank?
The median of $67,890 a year ranks 334th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on 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: moderate-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | +3.6% | 1,400 | $60,190 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | +1.7% | 700 | $47,730 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | +1.1% | 3,800 | $58,160 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | +3.6% | 4,100 | $46,960 |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | +1.6% | 900 | $58,620 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | +3.2% | 1,400 | $61,810 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | +4.6% | 39,200 | $59,850 |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | +1.0% | 2,400 | $57,430 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.