Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2004

47-5013 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining

Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. May also perform similar services in mining exploration operations. Include fishing-tool technicians.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
16,210 6.5 % $16.05 $33,380 1.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.65 $11.57 $14.75 $19.50 $24.65
Annual Wage (2) $20,070 $24,060 $30,670 $40,570 $51,280

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Support activities for mining 12,270 $15.84 $32,960
Oil and gas extraction 2,440 $17.05 $35,460
Other specialty trade contractors 390 $13.12 $27,290
Machinery and equipment rental and leasing 170 $20.51 $42,660
Ag., construction, and mining machinery mfg. 110 $16.53 $34,370

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Pipeline transportation of crude oil 30 $26.74 $55,620
Machinery and equipment rental and leasing 170 $20.51 $42,660
Natural gas distribution (7) $19.33 $40,200
Utility system construction (7) $17.94 $37,320
Oil and gas extraction 2,440 $17.05 $35,460

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Wyoming 650 $16.22 $33,750 0.265%
North Dakota 430 $17.04 $35,450 0.135%
Oklahoma 1,620 $16.13 $33,550 0.114%
West Virginia 720 $16.31 $33,920 0.105%
Louisiana 1,770 $15.92 $33,110 0.095%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Alaska 110 $21.52 $44,770 0.038%
California 840 $20.25 $42,130 0.006%
New Mexico 420 $20.07 $41,740 0.056%
Alabama (7) $18.79 $39,070 (7)
Colorado 620 $18.27 $38,000 0.029%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Odessa-Midland, TX MSA 960 $14.87 $30,920 0.915%
Longview-Marshall, TX MSA 420 $18.48 $38,450 0.449%
Houma, LA MSA 230 $17.63 $36,680 0.283%
Lafayette, LA MSA 450 $18.18 $37,820 0.272%
Lake Charles, LA MSA 190 $14.90 $30,980 0.236%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Ventura, CA PMSA 50 $22.22 $46,220 0.017%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA (7) $20.51 $42,650 (7)
Bakersfield, CA MSA 430 $19.53 $40,610 0.184%
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX PMSA (7) $18.81 $39,120 (7)
Longview-Marshall, TX MSA 420 $18.48 $38,450 0.449%

About May 2004 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Construction and Extraction Occupations

May 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2004 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: June 02, 2005