Roughneck vs oil field worker

The differences between roughnecks and oil field workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a roughneck has an average salary of $38,993, which is higher than the $30,014 average annual salary of an oil field worker.

The top three skills for a roughneck include safety equipment, flow lines and tongs. The most important skills for an oil field worker are rig, safety procedures, and frac.

Roughneck vs oil field worker overview

	Roughneck	Oil Field Worker
Yearly salary	$38,993	$30,014
Hourly rate	$18.75	$14.43
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	134	66,746
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 60%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Roughneck vs oil field worker salary

Roughnecks and oil field workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Roughneck	Oil Field Worker
Average salary	$38,993	$30,014
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $52,000	Between $25,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between roughneck and oil field worker education

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

	Roughneck	Oil Field Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 60%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Roughneck vs oil field worker demographics

Here are the differences between roughnecks' and oil field workers' demographics:

	Roughneck	Oil Field Worker
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%	Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 1.2% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between roughneck and oil field worker duties and responsibilities

Roughneck example responsibilities.

Fill out the Iadc logs daily, lead the crew during safety meetings and orientations.
Perform general maintenance on rig components, and conduct assigned activities on the rig floor.
Have to wear proper PPE at all times.
Operate forklift, manlift, and overhead hoists.
Assist in specific job tasks involving H2S protocol.
Appropriate use of PPE with various completion fluids.

Oil field worker example responsibilities.

Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.Bolt or nail together wood or steel framework to erect derricks.
Land excavation heavy machine operator H2S safety crew
Work with welders and equipment operators in everyday situations to complete natural gas compressor stations.
Operate various types of equipment, such as backhoe, skid-steer, telehandler, loader, man-lift, packer, etc.

Roughneck vs oil field worker skills

Common roughneck skills

Safety Equipment, 18%
Flow Lines, 16%
Tongs, 12%
General Maintenance, 4%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Mud Pumps, 4%

Common oil field worker skills

Rig, 26%
Safety Procedures, 18%
Frac, 7%
CDL, 6%
Oilfield Equipment, 4%
Flow Lines, 3%

Roughneck vs. similar jobs

Roughneck related careers

Roughneck related jobs

What similar roles do

Roustabout responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs