Skip to content
AffordMap
Construction & Trades

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Salary

in Charleston, WV

The median pay for a service unit operators, oil and gas in Charleston, WV is $60,680/year ($29.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $68,395 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,036/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.

$61K
Median annual
$29.17/hr
Hourly rate
$46K
Entry level (10th %)
$83K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $61K get you in Charleston?

Estimated take-home pay$4,048/mo
Rent (2BR median)-$1,036/mo
Rent as % of take-home25.6% ✓ within 30% guideline
Groceries-$348/mo
Utilities-$174/mo
Transportation-$305/mo
Healthcare *-$202/mo
Left over$1,983/mo

Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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.

Rentals in Charleston
Filter by your budget
View →

About service unit operators, oil and gas

Education: High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employed: 43,140
Charleston, WV employed: 60
Category: Construction & Trades

Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more

View jobs for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Currently hiring in Charleston, WV
View (opens in new tab)

What this looks like in Charleston

Service unit operators, oil and gas pay in Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $58K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,036/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.

Compared to nearby metros

Median pay for service unit operators, oil and gas in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.

MetroMedian payCOL-adjusted
Wheeling$62K$70K
Pittsburgh$60K$63K
Williamsport$61K$66K

COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV

Bar chart showing Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas salary percentiles in Charleston, WV: 10th percentile $46,210, 25th percentile $57,020, median $60,680, 75th percentile $78,940, 90th percentile $83,240. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$46K25th$57KMedian$61K75th$79K90th$83K
Bar chart showing Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas salary percentiles in Charleston, WV: 10th percentile $46,210, 25th percentile $57,020, median $60,680, 75th percentile $78,940, 90th percentile $83,240. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level service unit operators, oil and gas (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.

Share

Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

View Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas salary in all states
StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
Alaska$106K+83%1,090
Missouri$91K+56%80
Montana$78K+34%310
New Mexico$65K+12%2,600
Nebraska$63K+8%30
California$63K+8%2,820
Wyoming$63K+8%820
Florida$62K+7%200
Ohio$61K+5%930
North Dakota$61K+5%3,000
Louisiana$61K+4%3,130
Colorado$60K+4%2,930
Indiana$57K-2%N/A
Oklahoma$57K-3%2,980
Utah$56K-3%1,060
West Virginia$56K-3%580
Pennsylvania$55K-6%1,520
Michigan$52K-11%230
South Dakota$50K-14%40
Texas$50K-14%16,820
Mississippi$50K-15%250
Alabama$49K-15%170
Arkansas$48K-17%220
Kansas$46K-21%370
New York$46K-21%100
Illinois$42K-28%220
Kentucky$28K-51%210
123

Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data

BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small

Track service unit operators, oil and gas salary changes

BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston numbers change.

More openings for Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Currently hiring in Charleston, WV
View (opens in new tab)
Find accredited trade programs
Apprenticeship and certification paths
View (opens in new tab)
Would this salary go further somewhere else?
Compare your purchasing power across cities
Compare →
How do you get into this field?
Education, licensing, and what the career path looks like
Read guide →

Related careers in Construction & Trades

Frequently asked questions

Can a service unit operators, oil and ga afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?

Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 25.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

What’s the entry-level salary for service unit operators, oil and gas in Charleston?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new service unit operators, oil and gas typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,773/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is service unit operators, oil and ga a high-paying job in Charleston?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $58K nationally, a 4% difference.

How does Charleston compare to the national average for service unit operators, oil and gas?

Charleston pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do service unit operators, oil and gas make in Charleston, WV?

The median is $60,680 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,210, and experienced service unit operators, oil and gas can clear $83,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $61K enough to live in Charleston?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,048/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 25.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

How far does a service unit operators, oil and gas salary go in Charleston?

Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (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 service unit operators, oil and gas salary is worth about $68,395 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do service unit 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.

All careers in Charleston
Top-paying jobs, rent, and cost of living
Location hub →

People also searched