Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

What the job really is

Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-5071
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
• Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
• Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
• Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
• Lay gas and oil pipelines.
• Bolt together pump and engine parts.
• Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
• Clean trucks used in the fields.
• Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
• Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
• Clean up spilled oil by bailing it into barrels.
• Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, SAP software, Adjustable hand wrenches, Air hoists, Air-powered sandblasters, Catheads

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
• Hoist and Winch Operators
• Helpers--Extraction Workers
• Riggers
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Roustabouts, Oil and Gas — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.