Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

SOC 47-5012

Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

Five-year wage trends

Median wage levels across states

Focus level

Level III median wage up 26.0% since 2020-21.

2026 weighted lottery impact

Thresholds for Level III & IV

Level III threshold: $63,211

Level IV threshold: $71,355

Most common level in filings: Level II

Latest Level III median

2025-26

$63,211

Level I$48,485

Level II$56,857

Level III$63,211

Level IV$71,355

Top metros by Level III wages

Latest year median for this occupation

Rank	Metro Area	Level I	Level II	Level III	Level IV
1	Anchorage, AK, AK	$67,330	$90,709	$114,067	$137,446
2	San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, CA	$58,157	$75,275	$92,414	$109,533
3	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA, CA	$58,968	$75,608	$92,248	$108,888
4	Bakersfield-Delano, CA, CA	$58,594	$75,400	$92,186	$108,992
5	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, CA	$58,635	$75,234	$91,832	$108,430
6	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, CA	$57,741	$74,506	$91,291	$108,056
7	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, CA	$57,824	$74,235	$90,667	$107,078
8	Fairbanks-College, AK, AK	$70,824	$80,288	$89,773	$99,237
9	Chico, CA, CA	$53,186	$71,178	$89,190	$107,182
10	El Centro, CA, CA	$53,186	$71,178	$89,190	$107,182

Related occupations

Explore adjacent roles in this SOC group

No related occupations available.

Loading H-1B Calculator...