Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 47-5013.00United States
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.
- Median annual earnings
- $58,130
- Projected change
- +3.6%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 43.4K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
100% of the workforce
Growing to 44.97K by 2035
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The work
What service unit operators, oil and gas do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
- Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
- Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions.
- Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.
- Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
- Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells.
- Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil.
- Drive truck-mounted units to well sites.
- Interpret instrument readings to ascertain the depth of obstruction.
- Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools.
- Select fishing methods or tools for removing obstacles such as liners, broken casing, screens, or drill pipe.
- Close and seal wells no longer in use.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $38,868
- 25th percentile
- $47,423
- 50th percentile
- $58,130
- 75th percentile
- $73,291
- 90th percentile
- $97,928
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $58,130 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+3.6%average or slower
202543,404 jobs
2035 projected44,967 jobs
1,563 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 100%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Rig Operators105 postings
- 02Drill Rig Operators18 postings
- 03Coil Tubing Operators9 postings
- 04Derrickhands7 postings
- 05Operators7 postings
- 06Equipment Technicians4 postings
- 07Rig Hands4 postings
- 08Set Up Technicians3 postings
- 09Completion and Workover Consultants2 postings
- 10Pump Operators2 postings
- 11Spa Operations Managers2 postings
- 12Completions Managers1 postings
- 13Floorhands1 postings
- 14Guidance Navigation and Control Engineers1 postings
- 15Oil and Gas Analysts1 postings
- 16Refrigeration Technicians1 postings
- 17Slickline Operators1 postings
- 18Spray Foam Applicators1 postings
- 19Water Technicians1 postings
- 20Yard Technicians1 postings
Top employers
- 01Key Energy Services32 postings
- 02Axis Energy Services27 postings
- 03Ranger Energy Services10 postings
- 04Southeast Caissons10 postings
- 05Eastern National Oilfield Services8 postings
- 06Ensign Energy Services7 postings
- 07Atlas Operating4 postings
- 08Foremost Well Service3 postings
- 09Bellaire Oil2 postings
- 10Force Pressure Control2 postings
- 11Harley Drilling And Producing2 postings
- 12L&W Swabbing2 postings
- 13Precision Drill Repointing Company2 postings
- 14Precision Drilling2 postings
- 15Advatix1 postings
- 16Alpha Southwest1 postings
- 17American Well Service1 postings
- 18AppleOne1 postings
- 19Arrco Well Service1 postings
- 20Beckman Production Services1 postings
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