How much should I pay a derrick operators, oil and gas in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is $58,614 to $71,614 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows manufacturing wages growing about 3.3% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a derrick operators, oil and gas?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $49,878 is below market, $58,614 to $71,614 is competitive, and above $71,614 is above market for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas.

How is derrick operators, oil and gas pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role fell 6.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI). Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 47-5011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$58,614

$28.18/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Derrick Operators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$43K

P25$50K

P50$59K

P75$72K

P90$82K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $58,614 to $71,614 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Derrick Operators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 6.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is $58,614 per year ($28.18/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $49,878 and $71,614 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $81,806 per year. There are approximately 10,590 derrick operators, oil and gas employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud or fluid through drill hole.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+0.5%

Little or no change

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

11K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

No formal educational credential

Experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 3 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Support Activities for Mining NAICS 213100	9K	$57,480
Oil and Gas Extraction NAICS 211100	1K	$83,580
Utility System Construction NAICS 237100	70	$64,950

Wage range across top 5 industries: $57,480 to $83,580 (45% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$20.86	$43,389
P25	$23.98	$49,878
P50MEDIAN	$28.18	$58,614
P75	$34.43	$71,614
P90	$39.33	$81,806

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector

Stable

Openings Rate

3.7%

Quits Rate

1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average derrick operators, oil and gas salary?

The national median salary for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is $58,614 per year ($28.18/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $49,878 and $71,614 annually.

How much do top-earning derrick operators, oil and gas make?

The 90th percentile salary for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas is $81,806 per year ($39.33/hr). The 75th percentile is $71,614 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for derrick operators, oil and gas?

Entry-level Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas (10th percentile) earn approximately $43,389 per year ($20.86/hr). The 25th percentile is $49,878 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Texas5,810 workers Louisiana890 workers New Mexico880 workers Oklahoma580 workers North Dakota490 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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