Oil rig roughneck vs derrickman

The differences between oil rig roughnecks and derrickmen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a derrickman has an average salary of $48,858, which is higher than the $40,338 average annual salary of an oil rig roughneck.

The top three skills for an oil rig roughneck include rig, tongs and . The most important skills for a derrickman are drilling fluid, fluid properties, and direct supervision.

Oil rig roughneck vs derrickman overview

	Oil Rig Roughneck	Derrickman
Yearly salary	$40,338	$48,858
Hourly rate	$19.39	$23.49
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	1,906	733
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Oil rig roughneck vs derrickman salary

Oil rig roughnecks and derrickmen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Oil Rig Roughneck	Derrickman
Average salary	$40,338	$48,858
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $60,000	Between $36,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between oil rig roughneck and derrickman education

There are a few differences between an oil rig roughneck and a derrickman in terms of educational background:

	Oil Rig Roughneck	Derrickman
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Oil rig roughneck vs derrickman demographics

Here are the differences between oil rig roughnecks' and derrickmen' demographics:

	Oil Rig Roughneck	Derrickman
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%	Male, 98.1% Female, 1.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between oil rig roughneck and derrickman duties and responsibilities

Oil rig roughneck example responsibilities.

Operate heavy equipment with CDL certification.
Clamp holding fixtures on ends of hoisting cables.

Derrickman example responsibilities.

Fill out the Iadc logs daily, lead the crew during safety meetings and orientations.
Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Conduct derrick maintenance of sheave nest, cables, structure, ropes, pulleys and safety equipment.
Maintain shakers and agitators on pit system.
Maintain centrifugal, agitators, and shakers.
Prepare BHA as per plan for hole sections.

Oil rig roughneck vs derrickman skills

Common oil rig roughneck skills

Rig, 90%
Tongs, 10%

Common derrickman skills

Drilling Fluid, 12%
Fluid Properties, 9%
Direct Supervision, 8%
Well Control, 5%
Tongs, 5%
Drill Pipe, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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