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Skilled Trades

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.

Median salary (BLS)

$46,960

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $65k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Roustabouts, Oil and Gas" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

    Entry / Junior

    $36,420

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

    Established

    $46,960

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

    Senior

    $55,745

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
  • •Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
  • •Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
  • •Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
  • •Lay gas and oil pipelines.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.