http://work.chron.com/much-oil-rig-jobs-pay-9464.html
Oil rigs are the framework used to extract crude oil from the earth; the term may refer to drilling rigs used on land or offshore oil platforms used at sea. Employees on these rigs range from the well-educated engineers who develop tools and plan methodology to the roustabouts who do the "dirty work" that keeps the rig running smoothly. How much a worker in the oil extraction industry makes depends upon his job; even for untrained workers, the pay can be attractive.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 162,570 people nationwide working in oil and gas extraction, as of May 2011. The largest number of these workers, 15,720, were petroleum engineers. On the rig, these workers ensure equipment they have designed is running smoothly and safely, and plans they have developed are being carried out properly. The bureau reported they earned an average annual wage of $150,890, the equivalent of $72.55 an hour. Other overseers include the 4,330 "toolpushers," or extraction foremen, who supervise drilling operations on the rig. These workers averaged $79,710 annually, or $38.32 an hour.
Roustabouts
The second-largest group of employees fell at the opposite end of the wage spectrum from petroleum engineers: the 7,740 roustabouts who clean and maintain the equipment on the rig. The bureau reported these manual laborers averaged $35,590 per year, or $17.11 an hour. Another hands-on job that fell at the low end of the rig pay spectrum belonged to the workers who set up and repair rigging on the site. They averaged $30,080 annually, or $14.46 an hour.
Pumpers The third-largest group of workers on rigs were the wellhead pumpers who operate and maintain the large pumps that draw the oil from the earth once the wellhole has reached the underground reservoir. The bureau reported the 7,510 pumpers in the oil extraction industry averaged $43,040 annually, or $20.69 an hour.
Extraction Work
Three major types of skilled workers on rigs are the service unit operators who maintain wells and pumps, the drillers who run the rotary drills on the rig and the derrick operators who maintain the support structure. The bureau reported 5,630 service unit operators as of 2011 who averaged $47,120 annually, or $22.65 an hour; 4,430 drillers who averaged $63,400 annually, or $30.48 an hour; and 2,370 derrick operators, who averaged $52,520 annually, or $25.25 an hour.
Outlook
Jobs in oil and gas drilling are expected by the bureau to grow at 8 percent between 2010 and 2020, slower than the average growth of 14 percent expected for all U.S. jobs. Although demand will be driven by the need for these products, advances in drilling techniques are expected to result in more efficient production
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