Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · SOC 47-5012
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for rotary drill operators, oil and gas. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 18 of 18 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $85,470 | 40 | 0.2 |
| 2 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $81,360 | 470 | 0.1 |
| 3 | Tyler, TX | $79,640 | 80 | 0.7 |
| 4 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $79,450 | 2,100 | 0.6 |
| 5 | Midland, TX | $78,260 | 490 | 4.0 |
| 6 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $75,660 | 190 | 0.6 |
| 7 | Grand Junction, CO | $69,120 | 30 | 0.5 |
| 8 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $63,600 | 50 | 0.3 |
| 9 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $63,310 | 90 | 0.1 |
| 10 | Farmington, NM | $62,730 | 60 | 1.3 |
| 11 | Odessa, TX | $59,560 | 230 | 2.8 |
| 12 | Casper, WY | $57,750 | 90 | 2.1 |
| 13 | Wichita Falls, TX | $57,700 | 40 | 0.7 |
| 14 | Abilene, TX | $56,540 | 50 | 0.6 |
| 15 | Tulsa, OK | $56,160 | 220 | 0.5 |
| 16 | Oklahoma City, OK | $55,160 | 1,040 | 1.5 |
| 17 | Charleston, WV | $51,380 | 30 | 0.3 |
| 18 | Lafayette, LA | $49,190 | 400 | 2.2 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.