Unit operator vs service rig operator

The differences between unit operators and service 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 unit operator and a service rig operator. Additionally, a service rig operator has an average salary of $41,380, which is higher than the $41,192 average annual salary of a unit operator.

The top three skills for a unit operator include asphalt, plant equipment and safety procedures. The most important skills for a service rig operator are rig, CDL, and H2S.

Unit operator vs service rig operator overview

	Unit Operator	Service Rig Operator
Yearly salary	$41,192	$41,380
Hourly rate	$19.80	$19.89
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	47,545	26,775
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 69%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Unit operator vs service rig operator salary

Unit operators and service rig operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Operator	Service Rig Operator
Average salary	$41,192	$41,380
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $62,000	Between $20,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	Plymouth, MN	-
Highest paying state	Minnesota	-
Best paying company	Applied Materials	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between unit operator and service rig operator education

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

	Unit Operator	Service Rig Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 69%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Unit operator vs service rig operator demographics

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

	Unit Operator	Service Rig Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5%	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% 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, 6.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 1.2% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between unit operator and service rig operator duties and responsibilities

Unit operator example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain GPS and other equipment.
Drill frac plugs in time efficient manner.
Coordinate, and execute safety programs, JSA's, and reports.
Make Maximo request to get desire jobs put on schedule for repairs.
Perform LOTO procedures for equipment in preparation for maintenance or safety concerns.
Perform day to day operational oversight and maintenance over numerous distillation and utility units in a cresylic acid manufacturing facility.

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

Unit operator vs service rig operator skills

Common unit operator skills

Asphalt, 27%
Plant Equipment, 21%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Control Room, 7%
Unit Operations, 6%
Rig, 4%

Common service rig operator skills

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