All About Oil and Gas Roustabouts
Job Description & Duties Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.
Life As an Oil and Gas Roustabout: What Do They Do?
- Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.
- Bolt or nail together wood or steel framework to erect derricks.
- Keep pipe deck and main deck areas clean and tidy.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- Bolt together pump and engine parts.
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Oil and Gas Roustabout Skills
When polled, Oil and Gas Roustabouts say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Oil and Gas Roustabout Jobs
- Rigger
- Galley Hand
- Laborer
- Well Service Floor Worker
- Operator
Oil and Gas Roustabout Employment Estimates
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 50,000 jobs in the United States for Oil and Gas Roustabout. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 24.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 12,400 new jobs for Oil and Gas Roustabout by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,000 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Oil and Gas Roustabout are Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Michigan, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Oil and Gas Roustabouts Make A Lot Of Money?
The average yearly salary of an Oil and Gas Roustabout ranges between $27,110 and $58,880.

Oil and Gas Roustabouts who work in North Dakota, Montana, or Nebraska, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Oil and Gas Roustabouts in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $45,810 |
Arizona | $33,030 |
Arkansas | $38,740 |
California | $38,260 |
Colorado | $44,760 |
Illinois | $38,330 |
Indiana | $39,860 |
Kansas | $38,200 |
Kentucky | $37,270 |
Louisiana | $39,260 |
Michigan | $41,030 |
Mississippi | $28,940 |
Montana | $52,910 |
Nebraska | $46,490 |
New Mexico | $36,230 |
North Dakota | $53,490 |
Ohio | $39,010 |
Oklahoma | $40,750 |
Pennsylvania | $34,860 |
South Dakota | $43,860 |
Texas | $38,860 |
Utah | $47,040 |
West Virginia | $35,970 |
Wyoming | $44,490 |
What Tools & Technology do Oil and Gas Roustabouts Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Oil and Gas Roustabouts:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- SAP software
- Maintenance record software
How to Become an Oil and Gas Roustabout
Are there Oil and Gas Roustabouts education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Oil and Gas Roustabouts?

Oil and Gas Roustabouts work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming an Oil and Gas Roustabout might also be interested in the following careers:
- Parking Lot Attendants
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Those who work as an Oil and Gas Roustabout sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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