Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Salary
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX make a median of $79,450 a year, or about $38.2 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $80,554 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 28.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits well above the national pay line for rotary drill operators, oil and gas, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) 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 rotary drill operators, oil and gas in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Midland | $78K | $82K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $81K | $79K |
| 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, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level rotary drill operators, oil and gas (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $83K 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a rotary drill operators, oil and ga afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for rotary drill operators, oil and gas in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rotary drill operators, oil and gas typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,084/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $79K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rotary drill operators, oil and gas make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $79,450 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,400, and experienced rotary drill operators, oil and gas can clear $134,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,357/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 29.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a rotary drill operators, oil and gas salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 rotary drill operators, oil and gas salary is worth about $80,554 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.