Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
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 pay
- $58,160
- Doing it now
- 43,800
- By 2035
- Up 1.1%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
a year
across the country
3,800 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells.
- Drive truck-mounted units to well sites.
- Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
- Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools.
- Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil.
- Close and seal wells no longer in use.
- Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Mining and Petroleum Technologies/TechniciansSee 3 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $58,160 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.