Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
SOC 47-5010
The median annual wage for Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas is $58,100, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $60,590, and an estimated 69,840 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +19% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of +1.1% after inflation.
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Derrick, Rotary Drill, and Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $58,100 | $58,100 | 69,840 |
| 2022 | $51,050 | $53,151 | 59,460 |
| 2021 | $48,740 | $54,807 | 51,910 |
| 2020 | $48,820 | $57,477 | 68,840 |
Nominal change
+19%
Inflation (CPI)
+17.7%
Real change
+1.1%
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$38,630
25th Pct
$46,390
Median
$58,100
75th Pct
$71,100
90th Pct
$85,190
Related Occupations in Construction & Extraction
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.