Roughneck vs roustabout hand

The differences between roughnecks and roustabout hands 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 $31,138 average annual salary of a roustabout hand.

The top three skills for a roughneck include safety equipment, flow lines and tongs. The most important skills for a roustabout hand are oilfield equipment, flow lines, and frac.

Roughneck vs roustabout hand overview

	Roughneck	Roustabout Hand
Yearly salary	$38,993	$31,138
Hourly rate	$18.75	$14.97
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	134	5,774
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 63%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Roughneck vs roustabout hand salary

Roughnecks and roustabout hands have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Roughneck	Roustabout Hand
Average salary	$38,993	$31,138
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $52,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between roughneck and roustabout hand education

There are a few differences between a roughneck and a roustabout hand in terms of educational background:

	Roughneck	Roustabout Hand
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 63%
Most common major	General Studies	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Roughneck vs roustabout hand demographics

Here are the differences between roughnecks' and roustabout hands' demographics:

	Roughneck	Roustabout Hand
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 29.2% Asian, 1.2% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between roughneck and roustabout hand 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.

Roustabout hand example responsibilities.

Work under fresh air for H2S.
Utilize spinning chain and tongs for making and breaking drill pipe connections.
Wear proper PPE, clean well site up to EPA standards, change out lines and equipment whenever necessary
Work with welders and equipment operators in everyday situations to complete natural gas compressor stations.
Drive crew out to location and have a tailgate, JSA meeting before work start.

Roughneck vs roustabout hand skills

Common roughneck skills

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

Common roustabout hand skills

Oilfield Equipment, 12%
Flow Lines, 9%
Frac, 6%
RAN, 5%
Thread Pipe, 5%
Water Tanks, 4%

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Roustabout responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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