Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Salary
In Midland, TX, earth drillers, except oil and gas earn $63,730 at the median, or about $30.64 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.78), that's roughly $66,538 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,772/month, about 40% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Midland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Midland’s Regional Price Parity (95.78). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About earth drillers, except oil and gas
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What this looks like in Midland
Earth drillers, except oil and gas pay in Midland tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,772/month, which is 40% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.78) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for earth drillers, except oil and gas in metros near Midland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $58K | $59K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $61K | $59K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | $63K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $58K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Midland, TX
Entry-level earth drillers, except oil and gas (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80K | +34% | 210 |
| Alaska | $80K | +33% | 290 |
| Illinois | $79K | +31% | 330 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +30% | 400 |
| Montana | $71K | +19% | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | +14% | 280 |
| California | $67K | +11% | 1,630 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | +10% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $66K | +9% | 140 |
| Kansas | $66K | +9% | 80 |
| Oregon | $65K | +8% | 510 |
| Colorado | $65K | +8% | 280 |
| Wyoming | $64K | +7% | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $64K | +7% | 130 |
| Minnesota | $64K | +6% | 340 |
| Indiana | $63K | +4% | 440 |
| North Dakota | $63K | +4% | 110 |
| Michigan | $63K | +4% | 850 |
| South Carolina | $62K | +2% | 120 |
| Vermont | $61K | +2% | 70 |
| Maryland | $61K | +2% | 120 |
| Nevada | $61K | +1% | 1,350 |
| Ohio | $61K | +1% | 390 |
| New York | $61K | +1% | 670 |
| Mississippi | $61K | +1% | 250 |
| Utah | $60K | +0% | 310 |
| Nebraska | $60K | +0% | 210 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -0% | 100 |
| Arizona | $59K | -2% | 850 |
| Texas | $59K | -2% | 1,930 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -3% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -5% | 730 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -5% | 290 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -5% | 80 |
| Delaware | $57K | -5% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $56K | -7% | 80 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -7% | 190 |
| West Virginia | $56K | -8% | 240 |
| Virginia | $55K | -8% | 440 |
| Florida | $55K | -8% | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $55K | -9% | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -10% | 250 |
| Iowa | $54K | -10% | 190 |
| Missouri | $52K | -14% | 370 |
| Georgia | $50K | -17% | 870 |
| Alabama | $46K | -23% | 170 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -23% | 110 |
| Maine | $46K | -24% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track earth drillers, except oil and gas salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Midland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a earth drillers, except oil and ga afford a 2BR apartment alone in Midland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 40% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,772/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for earth drillers, except oil and gas in Midland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new earth drillers, except oil and gas typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,441/month. At HUD’s $1,772/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is earth drillers, except oil and ga a high-paying job in Midland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Midland compare to the national average for earth drillers, except oil and gas?
Midland pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do earth drillers, except oil and gas make in Midland, TX?
The median is $63,730 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,690, and experienced earth drillers, except oil and gas can clear $70,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Midland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,772/month, which eats 40% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a earth drillers, except oil and gas salary go in Midland?
Midland has a Regional Price Parity of 95.78 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median earth drillers, except oil and gas salary is worth about $66,538 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do earth drillers, except oil and gas get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.