Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Salary
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX make a median of $81,360 a year, or about $39.11 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $78,921 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,931/month, about 35.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $81K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 rotary drill operators, oil and gas
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington sits well above the national pay line for rotary drill operators, oil and gas, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,931/month, which is 35.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rotary drill operators, oil and gas in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $79K | $81K |
| Midland | $78K | $82K |
| Odessa | $60K | $63K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $63K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level rotary drill operators, oil and gas (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $85K | +26% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $83K | +22% | 580 |
| Colorado | $80K | +18% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $79K | +17% | 40 |
| Texas | $78K | +15% | 5,980 |
| North Dakota | $71K | +5% | 230 |
| Utah | $70K | +4% | N/A |
| Alabama | $67K | -1% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $67K | -1% | 130 |
| New York | $67K | -1% | 50 |
| California | $66K | -3% | 460 |
| Ohio | $64K | -6% | 290 |
| Arizona | $63K | -7% | 30 |
| Florida | $62K | -9% | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -9% | 390 |
| Virginia | $61K | -10% | 110 |
| Wyoming | $61K | -10% | 200 |
| Kansas | $61K | -11% | 130 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -13% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -15% | 50 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -16% | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $55K | -19% | 1,700 |
| Michigan | $54K | -20% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -27% | 910 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -43% | 30 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -44% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track rotary drill operators, oil and gas salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rotary drill operators, oil and ga afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 35.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for rotary drill operators, oil and gas in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rotary drill operators, oil and gas typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,999/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rotary drill operators, oil and ga a high-paying job in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $81K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rotary drill operators, oil and gas make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $81,360 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,990, and experienced rotary drill operators, oil and gas can clear $111,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,469/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 35.3% 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 rotary drill operators, oil and gas salary go in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rotary drill operators, oil and gas salary is worth about $78,921 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rotary drill operators, 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.