Life As an Oil and Gas Roustabout
Position Description Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.
List of Oil and Gas Roustabout Job Duties
- Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
- Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
- Cut down and remove trees and brush to clear drill sites, to reduce fire hazards, and to make way for roads to sites.
- Bolt together pump and engine parts.
- Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
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Qualities of an Oil and Gas Roustabout
Oil and Gas Roustabouts state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Well Service Floorperson
- Cathead Operator
- Rig Hand
- Field Service Technician
- Rigger
Oil and Gas Roustabout Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 50,000 jobs for Oil and Gas Roustabout in 2016. 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.
Salary for an Oil and Gas Roustabout
The typical yearly salary for Oil and Gas Roustabouts is somewhere between $27,110 and $58,880.

Oil and Gas Roustabouts who work in North Dakota, Montana, or Nebraska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Oil and Gas Roustabouts make 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 do Oil and Gas Roustabouts Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Oil and Gas Roustabouts may use on a daily basis:
- 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
Individuals working as an Oil and Gas Roustabout have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Oil and Gas Roustabout?

Oil and Gas Roustabouts Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Oil and Gas Roustabouts employed by various industries.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being an Oil and Gas Roustabout may also be interested in:
- 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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