Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Salary
The median pay for a service unit operators, oil and gas in Kentucky is $28,280/year ($13.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $43K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $31,342 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 55.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Kentucky. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $28K actually covers in Kentucky, month by month
About service unit operators, oil and gas
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for service unit operators, oil and gas in Kentucky runs about 51% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 56.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for service unit operators, oil and gas.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level service unit operators, oil and gas (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a service unit operators, oil and ga afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 56.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for service unit operators, oil and gas in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new service unit operators, oil and gas typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,810/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Kentucky?
Local pay runs 51% below the national median — $28K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for service unit operators, oil and gas?
Kentucky pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -51%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do service unit operators, oil and gas make in Kentucky?
The median is $28,280 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,810, and experienced service unit operators, oil and gas can clear $77,330. The mean (average) is $43,430, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,969/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 56.4% 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 service unit operators, oil and gas salary go in Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (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 $31,342 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.