Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
Median $58,620
Occupation · SOC 47-5081
Helpers--Extraction Workers: pay and where the jobs are
What helpers--extraction workers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$47,730 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $50,620
- Median hourly wage
- $22.95
- Mean hourly wage
- $24.34
- Employment
- 6,700
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-5081.
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See where your pay falls among helpers--extraction workers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do helpers--extraction workers make?
The median annual wage for helpers--extraction workers was $47,730 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,960 and the highest-paid 10% more than $68,020. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.95. About 6,700 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in West Virginia ($77,180), Kentucky ($68,020) and Utah ($55,490). West Virginia also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for helpers--extraction workers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,960 | $17.77 | $3,080 | $2,656 |
| 25th percentile | $41,430 | $19.92 | $3,453 | $2,956 |
| Median | $47,730 | $22.95 | $3,978 | $3,378 |
| 75th percentile | $57,920 | $27.84 | $4,827 | $4,060 |
| 90th percentile | $68,020 | $32.70 | $5,668 | $4,724 |
Helpers--Extraction Workers: pay by state
26 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$67,578 take-home in national prices
2
$60,359 take-home in national prices
3
$50,237 take-home in national prices
Where a median helpers--extraction worker paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 360 | $77,180 | $36,970 | $77,230 | $60,480 | $67,578 |
| Kentucky | 230 | $68,020 | $67,590 | $69,250 | $54,419 | $60,359 |
| Utah | Not published | $55,490 | $45,510 | $55,490 | $44,778 | $45,293 |
| Wyoming | 110 | $55,240 | $46,620 | $91,020 | $46,565 | $50,237 |
| New York | 210 | $54,910 | $47,220 | $69,090 | $43,664 | $40,459 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $54,840 | $35,090 | $79,620 | $44,832 | $48,619 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $54,700 | $51,200 | $65,890 | $46,131 | $44,287 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $53,820 | $33,770 | $61,980 | $43,582 | $40,055 |
| California | 1,170 | $51,720 | $37,050 | $62,060 | $41,922 | $37,863 |
| Maryland | 80 | $51,020 | $47,150 | $56,370 | $41,117 | $39,174 |
| Virginia | 90 | $50,350 | $37,920 | $89,850 | $40,555 | $40,112 |
| Indiana | 140 | $49,490 | $40,270 | $79,360 | $40,515 | $43,411 |
| Arizona | Not published | $49,070 | $42,320 | $57,210 | $40,775 | $40,501 |
| Alaska | 80 | $48,820 | $37,990 | $65,860 | $41,163 | $40,214 |
| Pennsylvania | 370 | $48,290 | $36,570 | $59,380 | $39,465 | $40,447 |
| Louisiana | 320 | $46,940 | $36,870 | $63,240 | $38,874 | $44,072 |
| Montana | 120 | $46,720 | $37,330 | $76,040 | $38,280 | $40,446 |
| Nevada | 230 | $46,610 | $46,480 | $56,700 | $39,631 | $39,639 |
| Oregon | 90 | $46,270 | $42,900 | $64,160 | $36,163 | $34,987 |
| South Dakota | 60 | $45,250 | $36,330 | $53,140 | $38,538 | $43,504 |
| North Carolina | 150 | $42,670 | $33,410 | $59,680 | $35,272 | $37,393 |
| Florida | 420 | $41,090 | $37,570 | $47,780 | $35,196 | $34,034 |
| Texas | 970 | $40,650 | $35,410 | $47,180 | $34,842 | $35,899 |
| Oklahoma | 140 | $38,510 | $24,080 | $45,300 | $31,935 | $36,355 |
| Colorado | 190 | $37,450 | $37,450 | $81,960 | $31,167 | $30,244 |
| Mississippi | Not published | $36,160 | $31,030 | $37,220 | $30,520 | $35,100 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-5081. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.