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Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $58,160 Median per year · $27.96/hr Most earn $38,940–$97,560

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Interpret instrument readings to ascertain the depth of obstruction.
  • Perforate well casings or sidewalls of boreholes with explosive charges.
  • Apply green technologies or techniques, such as the use of coiled tubing, slim-hole drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, or gas lift systems.
  • Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
  • Monitor sound wave-generating or detecting mechanisms to determine well fluid levels.
  • Insert detection instruments into wells with obstructions.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 3,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Support activities for mining66.0%
  • Oil and gas extraction23.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. Many people start with just a high school diploma and learn on the job, usually after about 6 months to 1 year of related field work, such as helping on an oil or gas crew.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with a focus on math, science, and shop or mechanical classes, which give you a base for working with equipment in the field.

  2. Oil Field Helper

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on a crew under experienced operators, learning equipment, safety rules, and how service jobs are done on site. This hands-on time is what prepares you for operator work.

  3. Service Unit Operator, Oil and Gas

    Ongoing career

    Run the service unit equipment that increases oil flow from wells or clears stuck pipe, casing, and tools from drilling wells.

Where it can lead

  1. Rotary Drill Operator

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    You move from servicing wells to running the drilling rig itself, which takes on more responsibility for drilling equipment and crew work. It usually builds on several years of field experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, welding, or auto classesHands-on mechanical skills help you understand how the equipment you would run actually works.
  • Take math and physicsStrong math and physics skills support the measuring, pressure, and equipment knowledge used on oilfield jobs.
  • Get a part-time or summer job doing physical workFarm, construction, or landscaping work builds stamina and shows employers you can handle hard, outdoor work.
  • Join FFA or a technical or trade clubClubs like these build teamwork, leadership, and practical skills that carry over into field crews.
  • Take a first aid or safety courseA basic first aid or CPR course, often offered by local Red Cross chapters or schools, shows you take safety seriously.

In college

  • Take physics, chemistry, and math coursesThese classes build the technical background you need to understand well pressure, fluids, and mechanical systems.
  • Take welding or industrial maintenance classes at a community collegeHands-on technical training can make you a stronger candidate for field jobs that involve equipment repair.
  • Work a part-time or summer job with an oilfield or energy services companyEven an entry-level role gives you field experience, which is the 6 months to 1 year most people need before operator work.
  • Get first aid, CPR, and basic safety certificationsThese certifications are inexpensive, easy to get, and show employers you can keep yourself and others safe on site.
  • Join a student engineering or energy clubClubs connect you with people in the field and help you learn how the industry works.

Tips for getting started

  • Talk to people who work on oil or gas crews, or in similar physical jobs, to learn what a typical day looks like and whether it fits you.
  • Show up on time, follow safety rules, and work hard at any job you have now. Supervisors in this field value reliability and safe habits.
  • Look at entry-level job postings in your area to see what employers ask for, and start building those skills now.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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