SOC 47-5011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas — Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
At $57,350, median pay for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in Pittsburgh, PA tracks the national median of $58,620 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +0.5%
- Openings per year
- 1,000
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Pittsburgh, PA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $57,350, median pay for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in Pittsburgh, PA tracks the national median of $58,620 closely. Pay ranges from under $54,100 at the tenth percentile to more than $67,280 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $56,330 to $58,340.
Of the 645 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 338th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $54,100 | −7.7% |
| 25th | $56,330 | −3.9% |
| Median (50th) | $57,350 | −2.2% |
| 75th | $58,340 | −0.5% |
| 90th | $67,280 | +14.8% |
| Mean | $60,320 | +2.9% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Pittsburgh run 5.3% below the national average, so the median of $57,350 goes as far as $60,560 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 3.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$57,350as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$60,560US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $57,350 a year, 2.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $54,100 to $67,280 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median annual wage is $57,350, or $27.57 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $58,620, so pay in Pittsburgh, PA is 2.2% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Pittsburgh, PA earns more than $67,280 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $54,100 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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