Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas vs. Construction Laborers: Who Earns More?

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass out-earn Construction Laborerss by $21K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass land at $67,890 and Construction Laborerss at $47,120. The education gap is real: rotary drill operators, oil and ga programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while construction laborer programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass is Alaska ($85,470); for Construction Laborerss it's Hawaii ($77,110).

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Median salary
$67,890
$47,120
Hourly rate
$32.64/hr
$22.66/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$47,010
$35,090
Senior level (90th %)
$101,860
$78,090
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
12,600
1,096,780
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
7.3%
Category
Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades
Top-paying state
Alaska
Hawaii

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas median pay.

State
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Alaska
$85,470
$58,060
Colorado
$79,830
$47,900
Nebraska
$79,140
$47,260
North Dakota
$71,280
$49,070
Utah
$70,400
$46,550
New York
$67,000
$55,930
California
$65,520
$60,270
Ohio
$63,600
$56,080
Arizona
$62,920
$46,590
Pennsylvania
$61,780
$49,400
Wyoming
$61,000
$46,030
Kansas
$60,600
$44,840
Tennessee
$58,780
$45,000
Michigan
$54,020
$49,590
Kentucky
$38,520
$45,710

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass or Construction Laborerss?

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass earn more nationally. The median is $67,890 for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass versus $47,120 for Construction Laborerss, a difference of $21K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas or Construction Laborers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas or Construction Laborers?

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Construction Laborers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass get paid the most?

Alaska is the top-paying state for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass at $85,470/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas vs. Construction Laborers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Alaska, Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass earn $85,470 vs. $58,060 for Construction Laborerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas salary breakdownView →Full Construction Laborers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gass by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Construction Laborerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a rotary drill operators, oil and gasGuide →How to become a construction laborersGuide →