Service rig operator vs work over rig operator

The differences between service rig operators and work over rig operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a service rig operator and a work over rig operator. Additionally, a service rig operator has an average salary of $41,380, which is higher than the $35,856 average annual salary of a work over rig operator.

The top three skills for a service rig operator include rig, CDL and H2S. The most important skills for a work over rig operator are work-over, safety procedures, and .

Service rig operator vs work over rig operator overview

	Service Rig Operator	Work Over Rig Operator
Yearly salary	$41,380	$35,856
Hourly rate	$19.89	$17.24
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	26,775	28,528
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 69%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Service rig operator vs work over rig operator salary

Service rig operators and work over rig operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Service Rig Operator	Work Over Rig Operator
Average salary	$41,380	$35,856
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $82,000	Between $15,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between service rig operator and work over rig operator education

There are a few differences between a service rig operator and a work over rig operator in terms of educational background:

	Service Rig Operator	Work Over Rig Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 69%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	General Studies	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Service rig operator vs work over rig operator demographics

Here are the differences between service rig operators' and work over rig operators' demographics:

	Service Rig Operator	Work Over Rig Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%	Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 1.2% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between service rig operator and work over rig operator duties and responsibilities

Service rig operator example responsibilities.

Employ wide variety of hand and power tools including hoists, drills, precision measuring instruments and electronic testing devices.
Operate pumps to move fluid through centrifuges removing solids from drilling fluid.
Assist the QA personnel to oversee and calculate fluids for quality verification and management of chemical inventory at well site.
Apply exceptional expertise in developing and conceptualizing QA instrumentation and certification standards for different services queues

Work over rig operator example responsibilities.

Work floors and derricks prior to being advance to the operator position.
Employ wide variety of hand and power tools including hoists, drills, precision measuring instruments and electronic testing devices.
Experience as floor hand, operator, derrick hand and water truck/vac truck driver.
Complete JSA and DVIR, as well as any other applicable reports and paperwork.

Service rig operator vs work over rig operator skills

Common service rig operator skills

Rig, 46%
CDL, 27%
H2S, 9%
Well Control, 9%
RAN, 4%
Tongs, 3%

Common work over rig operator skills

Work-Over, 78%
Safety Procedures, 22%

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Service Rig Operator
Service Rig Operator vs Work Over Rig Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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