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Salary comparison

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas vs. Construction Laborers: Who Earns More?

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass out-earn Construction Laborerss by $11K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass land at $58,160 and Construction Laborerss at $47,120. The education gap is real: service unit 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 Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass is Alaska ($106,480); for Construction Laborerss it's Hawaii ($77,110).

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Median salary
$58,160
$47,120
Hourly rate
$27.96/hr
$22.66/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$38,940
$35,090
Senior level (90th %)
$97,560
$78,090
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
43,140
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 Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas median pay.

State
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Alaska
$106,480
$58,060
Missouri
$90,580
$56,730
Montana
$77,750
$49,830
Nebraska
$62,990
$47,260
California
$62,580
$60,270
Wyoming
$62,560
$46,030
Ohio
$61,260
$56,080
North Dakota
$60,810
$49,070
Colorado
$60,290
$47,900
Indiana
$56,980
$50,070
Utah
$56,290
$46,550
Pennsylvania
$54,780
$49,400
Michigan
$52,000
$49,590
New York
$45,750
$55,930
Illinois
$41,680
$60,690

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass or Construction Laborerss?

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass earn more nationally. The median is $58,160 for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass versus $47,120 for Construction Laborerss, a difference of $11K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Service Unit 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, Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas or Construction Laborers?

Service Unit 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 Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass get paid the most?

Alaska is the top-paying state for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass at $106,480/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

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

The gap varies significantly by state. In Alaska, Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass earn $106,480 vs. $58,060 for Construction Laborerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas salary breakdownView →Full Construction Laborers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gass by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Construction Laborerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a service unit operators, oil and gasGuide →How to become a construction laborersGuide →