An Oil Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Oil Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Oil Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $47,638.
California: $47,457.
Massachusetts: $46,825.
District of Columbia$47,638
California$47,457
Massachusetts$46,825
Washington$46,653
New Jersey$46,636
Alaska$46,575
Connecticut$45,982
New York$45,741
Hawaii$44,971
Rhode Island$44,609
Maryland$44,364
Minnesota$44,028
Colorado$43,899
Illinois$43,856
Oregon$43,693
Delaware$43,572
New Hampshire$43,497
Virginia$43,327
Pennsylvania$42,832
Nevada$42,583
North Dakota$42,501
Michigan$42,372
Wisconsin$42,324
Vermont$42,230
Texas$41,967
Maine$41,950
Arizona$41,924
Ohio$41,894
Georgia$41,498
Indiana$41,300
Wyoming$41,262
Utah$41,202
Iowa$41,176
Kansas$40,969
Louisiana$40,909
North Carolina$40,887
Missouri$40,879
Florida$40,711
Montana$40,621
Nebraska$40,535
Kentucky$40,487
South Carolina$40,315
Tennessee$40,208
Idaho$40,165
New Mexico$39,850
Oklahoma$39,782
Alabama$39,528
South Dakota$39,102
Arkansas$38,870
West Virginia$38,745
Mississippi$38,370
Top Paying Cities for Oil Operators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $54,268
San Francisco: $53,674
Oakland: $52,543
San Jose, CA$54,268
San Francisco, CA$53,674
Oakland, CA$52,543
New York, NY$49,539
Paramus, NJ$48,937
Queens Village, NY$48,935
Passaic, NJ$48,894
Bergenfield, NJ$48,890
Stamford, CT$48,796
Huntington, NY$48,778
Newark, NJ$48,460
Bridgeport, CT$48,369
Vallejo, CA$48,284
New Brunswick, NJ$48,266
Petaluma, CA$48,241
Middlesex, NJ$48,159
Somerset, NJ$48,129
Santa Cruz, CA$48,073
Boston, MA$47,810
Monterey, CA$47,659
Seattle, WA$47,561
Santa Rosa, CA$47,552
Los Angeles, CA$47,539
Juneau, AK$47,427
Washington, DC$47,380
Orange, CA$47,227
Santa Ana, CA$47,113
Long Beach, CA$47,070
Anaheim, CA$47,062
Anchorage, AK$47,040
Santa Maria, CA$46,911
Everett, WA$46,902
Danbury, CT$46,751
Bremerton, WA$46,692
Tacoma, WA$46,537
New Suffolk, NY$46,536
Sacramento, CA$46,524
Santa Barbara, CA$46,476
Trenton, NJ$46,429
San Diego, CA$46,429
Brockton, MA$46,382
Fairbanks, AK$46,276
Lompoc, CA$46,167
Lowell, MA$46,132
Ventura, CA$46,124
Nashua, NH$46,115
Stockton, CA$46,111
Modesto, CA$45,797
Poughkeepsie, NY$45,702
Olympia, WA$45,620
Kennewick, WA$45,620
New Haven, CT$45,603
Lawrence, MA$45,448
Hartford, CT$45,405
Riverside, CA$45,397
New Bedford, MA$45,353
Richland, WA$45,353
Bakersfield, CA$45,293
San Bernardino, CA$45,276
New Britain, CT$45,272
Atlantic City, NJ$45,272
New London, CT$45,255
Norwich, CT$45,242
Portsmouth, NH$45,233
Boulder, CO$45,142
Portland, OR$45,082
Worcester, MA$45,078
Minneapolis, MN$44,945
Philadelphia, PA$44,885
Honolulu, HI$44,743
Saint Paul, MN$44,722
Vineland, NJ$44,712
Providence, RI$44,588
Chicago, IL$44,463
Bellingham, WA$44,411
Springfield, MA$44,377
Baltimore, MD$44,364
Chico, CA$44,256
Pittsfield, MA$44,140
Manchester, NH$44,058
Spokane, WA$43,869
Denver, CO$43,865
Albany, NY$43,663
Troy, NY$43,645
Nassau, NY$43,599
Schenectady, NY$43,555
Wilmington, DE$43,521
Burlington, VT$43,460
Salem, OR$43,443
Portland, ME$43,310
Yakima, WA$43,267
Rochester, MN$43,133
Reno, NV$43,112
Fresno, CA$43,112
Milwaukee, WI$43,073
Detroit, MI$43,030
Ann Arbor, MI$43,023
Allentown, PA$43,017
Colorado Springs, CO$42,944
Syracuse, NY$42,923
Carson City, NV$42,923
Houston, TX$42,862
Eugene, OR$42,841
Gary, IN$42,789
Springfield, OR$42,755
Bismarck, ND$42,746
Galveston, TX$42,716
Medford, OR$42,651
Fort Collins, CO$42,634
Concord, NH$42,613
Austin, TX$42,600
Mesa, AZ$42,509
Reading, PA$42,505
Phoenix, AZ$42,501
Dallas, TX$42,488
Saint Cloud, MN$42,447
Madison, WI$42,389
Utica, NY$42,273
Rochester, NY$42,204
Des Moines, IA$42,200
Raleigh, NC$42,195
Atlanta, GA$42,131
Battle Creek, MI$42,118
Salt Lake City, UT$42,105
Lancaster, PA$42,041
Harrisburg, PA$41,980
Kansas City, MO$41,937
Champaign, IL$41,929
Kansas City, KS$41,929
Fort Worth, TX$41,924
Columbus, OH$41,917
Boca Raton, FL$41,907
Pittsburgh, PA$41,890
Richmond, VA$41,873
Indianapolis, IN$41,864
Cleveland, OH$41,860
Las Vegas, NV$41,808
Cincinnati, OH$41,808
Petersburg, VA$41,744
Huntsville, AL$41,679
Lansing, MI$41,650
Lebanon, PA$41,645
Pueblo, CO$41,640
Appleton, WI$41,627
Buffalo, NY$41,610
Dayton, OH$41,597
Racine, WI$41,589
Charlotte, NC$41,584
Saint Louis, MO$41,572
York, PA$41,546
Elkhart, IN$41,546
Gastonia, NC$41,538
Billings, MT$41,527
Beaumont, TX$41,516
Lorain, OH$41,507
Benton Harbor, MI$41,498
Toledo, OH$41,490
Binghamton, NY$41,468
Rock Hill, SC$41,464
Rockford, IL$41,442
Springfield, IL$41,425
Elyria, OH$41,421
Fargo, ND$41,421
Flagstaff, AZ$41,391
Fort Lauderdale, FL$41,365
Duluth, MN$41,339
Miami, FL$41,339
Cheyenne, WY$41,309
Grand Forks, ND$41,309
Bangor, ME$41,214
Cedar Rapids, IA$41,167
Durham, NC$41,149
Louisville, KY$41,146
Grand Rapids, MI$41,137
Hialeah, FL$41,133
Casper, WY$41,072
Scranton, PA$41,021
New Orleans, LA$41,008
Virginia Beach, VA$41,004
Akron, OH$40,982
Peoria, IL$40,926
Sarasota, FL$40,918
Nashville, TN$40,887
Omaha, NE$40,887
Green Bay, WI$40,887
Baton Rouge, LA$40,866
Charleston, SC$40,857
Jamestown, NY$40,836
Davenport, IA$40,836
Tucson, AZ$40,814
Saint Petersburg, FL$40,788
Tampa, FL$40,780
Evansville, IN$40,754
Port Arthur, TX$40,754
Bradenton, FL$40,737
Santa Fe, NM$40,659
Orlando, FL$40,582
Clearwater, FL$40,569
Canton, OH$40,479
La Crosse, WI$40,479
Albuquerque, NM$40,453
Newport News, VA$40,449
High Point, NC$40,436
Ogden, UT$40,418
Corpus Christi, TX$40,384
Norfolk, VA$40,358
Laramie, WY$40,358
Rock Island, IL$40,332
Saginaw, MI$40,324
Jacksonville, FL$40,319
Salisbury, NC$40,311
Boise, ID$40,302
Moline, IL$40,281
Fort Myers, FL$40,268
Memphis, TN$40,259
Tulsa, OK$40,238
Waterloo, IA$40,212
Spartanburg, SC$40,169
Lincoln, NE$40,147
Fort Wayne, IN$40,139
Provo, UT$40,134
Cedar Falls, IA$40,083
San Antonio, TX$40,066
Greensboro, NC$40,048
South Bend, IN$40,044
Savannah, GA$39,997
Muskegon, MI$39,980
Birmingham, AL$39,975
Winston Salem, NC$39,954
Lake Charles, LA$39,850
Anderson, IN$39,842
Lexington, KY$39,829
Augusta, GA$39,816
Greenville, SC$39,816
Lima, OH$39,782
Wichita, KS$39,777
Tuscaloosa, AL$39,777
Columbia, SC$39,739
Springfield, OH$39,730
Asheville, NC$39,661
Bloomington, IN$39,631
Knoxville, TN$39,476
Shreveport, LA$39,472
Wilmington, NC$39,416
Roanoke, VA$39,416
Topeka, KS$39,338
Frankfort, KY$39,334
Oklahoma City, OK$39,304
Chillicothe, OH$39,287
Longview, TX$39,283
Melbourne, FL$39,278
Sioux Falls, SD$39,209
Mobile, AL$39,205
Terre Haute, IN$39,188
Altoona, PA$39,162
Amarillo, TX$39,132
Killeen, TX$39,119
Fayetteville, AR$39,085
Chattanooga, TN$39,072
Sioux City, IA$39,033
Idaho Falls, ID$39,024
Lynchburg, VA$38,990
Gainesville, FL$38,934
Portsmouth, OH$38,913
Little Rock, AR$38,904
Lafayette, LA$38,887
Youngstown, OH$38,887
Daytona Beach, FL$38,861
Clarksville, TN$38,857
Pensacola, FL$38,852
Temple, TX$38,849
Hopkinsville, KY$38,723
Erie, PA$38,715
Florence, SC$38,697
Charleston, WV$38,629
Great Falls, MT$38,607
Macon, GA$38,547
Tallahassee, FL$38,543
Fayetteville, NC$38,534
Waco, TX$38,525
Helena, MT$38,495
Pine Bluff, AR$38,479
Vincennes, IN$38,426
Lubbock, TX$38,409
Alamogordo, NM$38,383
Twin Falls, ID$38,345
Rapid City, SD$38,332
Jackson, MS$38,254
Huntington, WV$38,251
Greenville, MS$38,250
Parkersburg, WV$38,206
Montgomery, AL$38,198
Wichita Falls, TX$38,155
Springfield, MO$38,155
Biloxi, MS$38,134
Monroe, LA$38,091
Johnstown, PA$38,061
Sumter, SC$38,043
Columbus, GA$38,039
Pascagoula, MS$37,957
Abilene, TX$37,957
Kingsport, TN$37,845
Albany, GA$37,845
Gulfport, MS$37,833
Alexandria, LA$37,691
Fort Smith, AR$37,583
El Paso, TX$37,467
Las Cruces, NM$37,273
Harlingen, TX$37,164
Pocatello, ID$37,157
Florence, AL$37,101
Brownsville, TX$37,093
Mcallen, TX$37,002
Dothan, AL$36,942
Columbus, MS$36,686
Altus, OK$36,486
Lawton, OK$36,404
Pierre, SD$36,249
What Skills Can Increase an Oil Operator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 8.86% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Food Preparation (Mentioned in 5.41% Job Postings): The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to food preparation: Food preparation – art form and applied science that includes but is not limited to cooking.
HACCP (Mentioned in 3.8% Job Postings): HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement to manufacturing and consumption of the finished product.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Oil Operator's salary.
Oral Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Work Under Pressure: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Oil Operator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Oil Operator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average.
In contrast, Oil Operator positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Oil Operator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Oil Operator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$47,328
$23.0
10%
Biotechnology
$47,328
$23.0
10%
Energy & Utilities
$47,328
$23.0
10%
Financial Services
$47,328
$23.0
10%
Healthcare
$47,328
$23.0
10%
How Education impacts an Oil Operator's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Oil Operators enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Oil Operator with a No Diploma is between
$43,358
and $45,827).
Oil Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Oil Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$38,282
Average$43,026/year
$47,663
$3,190
Average$3,585/month
$3,972
$736
Average$827/week
$917
$18
Average$21/hour
$23
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$47,663
$3,972
$917
$23
Average
$43,026
$3,585
$827
$21
25th Percentile
$38,282
$3,190
$736
$18
Salaries of Jobs related to Oil Operator
Oil Rig Operator$102,400
Oil Refinery Operator III$85,200
Oil Refinery Operator II$70,890
Oil Field Operator$67,189
Oil Refinery Operator I$60,160
Oil Refinery Operator$53,024
Oil And Gas Operator$50,329
CLD Hot Oil Operator$50,200
Hot Oil Unit Operator$50,138
Hot Oil Operator$49,702
Oil Recovery Operator$48,425
Salary Trends for Oil Operator
Salaries for an Oil Operator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $41,139 in 2023
to around $40,663 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Oil Operator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Oil Operator Over Time
$???
$41,139
$40,903
$40,663
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$41,139
2024
$40,903
2025
$40,663
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Oil Operator
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Oil Operator
Here are companies hiring for Oil Operator and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Oil Operator Job
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FAQ about Oil Operator
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Oil Operator?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Oil Operator roles,
with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
