Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2003

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)
14,030 6.5 % $16.28 $33,860 1.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.47 $11.53 $14.83 $19.73 $25.31
Annual Wage (2) $19,690 $23,980 $30,850 $41,040 $52,640

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 10,320 $16.21 $33,720
Oil and gas extraction 2,460 $16.23 $33,750
Other specialty trade contractors 190 $12.83 $26,690
Machinery and equipment rental and leasing 130 $21.60 $44,930
Utility system construction 80 $18.67 $38,840

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Pipeline transportation of crude oil 40 $25.48 $53,000
Machinery and equipment rental and leasing 130 $21.60 $44,930
Utility system construction 80 $18.67 $38,840
Natural gas distribution 70 $17.94 $37,320
Ag., construction, and mining machinery mfg. 70 $16.64 $34,610

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 760 $16.50 $34,320 0.316%
North Dakota 430 $16.51 $34,340 0.137%
Louisiana 1,690 $15.25 $31,710 0.091%
Oklahoma 1,280 $18.66 $38,810 0.090%
New Mexico 590 $16.09 $33,470 0.079%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
California 810 $21.90 $45,550 0.006%
Alaska 90 $21.54 $44,810 0.031%
West Virginia 440 $18.90 $39,320 0.065%
Oklahoma 1,280 $18.66 $38,810 0.090%
Alabama (7) $18.21 $37,870 (7)

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 860 $14.03 $29,170 0.830%
Longview-Marshall, TX MSA 370 $18.64 $38,780 0.403%
Abilene, TX MSA 150 $14.03 $29,170 0.270%
Lafayette, LA MSA 410 $16.52 $34,350 0.249%
Bakersfield, CA MSA 440 $21.92 $45,600 0.193%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Fresno, CA MSA 60 $24.19 $50,320 0.018%
Ventura, CA PMSA 40 $23.05 $47,940 0.014%
Bakersfield, CA MSA 440 $21.92 $45,600 0.193%
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA 130 $21.01 $43,700 0.072%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA (7) $20.45 $42,540 (7)

About November 2003 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

November 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 19, 2005