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Oil rig roughneck demographics and statistics in the US

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Oil rig roughneck demographics by:

Oil rig roughneck gender statistics

5.0% of oil rig roughnecks are women and 95.0% of oil rig roughnecks are men.
  • Male, 95.0%
  • Female, 5.0%

Oil rig roughneck gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male95.0%
Female5.0%

Oil rig roughneck gender pay gap

Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$42,955
female-income
Female income
$38,943

Oil rig roughneck gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in oil rig roughneck positions over time. Currently, 5.0% of oil rig roughnecks are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Oil rig roughneck gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201097.06%2.94%
201196.86%3.14%
201296.69%3.31%
201394.74%5.26%
201495.13%4.87%
201594.78%5.22%
201696.17%3.83%
201793.11%6.89%
201895.57%4.43%
201994.42%5.58%
202095.72%4.28%
202195.00%5.00%

Oil rig roughneck related jobs gender ratio

We compared oil rig roughnecks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, relief driller and oil field roustabout have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Duck Bill Operator25%75%
Oil Rig Roughneck95%5%
Lead Miner, Blasting98%2%
Oil Field Roustabout99%1%
Relief Driller99%1%

Oil rig roughneck demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among oil rig roughnecks is White, which makes up 63.7% of all oil rig roughnecks. Comparatively, 19.4% of oil rig roughnecks are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of oil rig roughnecks are Black or African American.
  • White, 63.7%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 19.4%
  • Black or African American, 9.2%
  • Unknown, 4.2%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
  • Asian, 1.2%

Oil rig roughneck race

Oil rig roughneck racePercentages
White63.7%
Hispanic or Latino19.4%
Black or African American9.2%
Unknown4.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native2.3%
Asian1.2%

Oil rig roughneck race and ethnicity over time

See how oil rig roughneck racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Oil rig roughneck race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201070.57%8.93%0.39%16.46%
201170.22%7.28%0.55%17.83%
201269.18%8.22%0.40%18.20%
201367.38%7.95%0.52%19.29%
201465.79%9.10%0.51%19.64%
201568.46%8.21%0.36%19.58%
201668.02%7.90%0.62%19.85%
201766.80%8.15%0.31%19.64%
201872.18%7.92%0.38%15.92%
201967.11%7.66%0.66%21.16%
202062.77%9.53%0.55%21.90%
202163.71%9.23%1.22%19.39%

Oil rig roughneck wage gap by race

According to our data, white oil rig roughnecks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian oil rig roughnecks have the lowest average salary at $39,614.
$48,000
$46,000
$44,000
$42,000
$40,000
$38,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$43,882
White$46,797
Black or African American$40,973
Asian$39,614
Hispanic or Latino$43,874

Average oil rig roughneck age

See how the average age of oil rig roughnecks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Oil rig roughneck age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
White40
Black or African American48
American Indian and Alaska Native32
Hispanic or Latino35

Oil rig roughneck age breakdown

The average age of oil rig roughnecks is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the oil rig roughneck population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Oil rig roughneck age breakdown

Oil Rig Roughneck YearsPercentages
40+ years49%
30-40 years30%
20-30 years22%

Oil rig roughneck educational attainment

The most common degree for oil rig roughnecks is high school diploma, with 61% of oil rig roughnecks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 14% and diploma degree at 8%.
  • High School Diploma, 61%
  • Diploma, 14%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Bachelor's, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

Oil rig roughnecks by degree level

Oil rig roughneck degreePercentages
High School Diploma61%
Diploma14%
Associate8%
Bachelor's8%
Other Degrees9%

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Oil rig roughneck wage gap by degree level

According to the data, oil rig roughnecks with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $43,821 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, oil rig roughnecks earn a median annual income of $42,180 compared to $37,919 for oil rig roughnecks with an High School Diploma degree.
$44,000
$42,000
$40,000
$38,000
$36,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$37,919
Bachelor's Degree$42,180
Some College/ Associate Degree$43,821

Oil rig roughneck employment statistics

Company size where oil rig roughnecks work

Below, you can see the size of companies where oil rig roughnecks work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Oil rig roughneck jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees7%
50 - 100 employees18%
100 - 500 employees18%
500 - 1,000 employees11%
1,000 - 10,000 employees29%
> 10,000 employees18%

Oil rig roughneck jobs by industry

The most common industries for oil rig roughnecks are energy, professional and technology.

Energy

Fortune 500

Professional

Technology

Media

Oil rig roughneck industry statistics

Oil rig roughneck turnover and employment statistics

Oil rig roughneck unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for oil rig roughnecks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Oil rig roughneck unemployment rate by year

YearOil rig roughneck unemployment rate
201012.16%
20118.43%
20127.78%
20138.04%
20146.09%
201511.90%
201613.78%
20176.52%
20184.80%
20194.61%
202012.55%
202111.41%

Average oil rig roughneck tenure

The average oil rig roughneck stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 98 oil rig roughnecks resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Oil rig roughneck tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year28%
1-2 years40%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years5%
8-10 years5%
11+ years8%

Oil rig roughneck LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of oil rig roughnecks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Oil Rig Roughneck2.29%-
Hydraulic Miner2.32%597
Ground Water Contractor2.64%16,161
Clay Machine Operator4.26%53,615

Similar oil rig roughneck jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Hydraulic Miner2.32%597
Ground Water Contractor2.64%16,161
Clay Machine Operator4.26%53,615

Foreign languages spoken by oil rig roughnecks

  • Spanish, 100.0%

Oil rig roughneck languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish100.0%

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