SOC 47-5012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas — Kentucky
Kentucky
Median pay in Kentucky is $38,520 a year, 43.3% under the national median of $67,890 for this occupation.
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
- +0.2%
- Openings per year
- 1,200
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-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 Kentucky.
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
Median pay in Kentucky is $38,520 a year, 43.3% under the national median of $67,890 for this occupation. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $37,060 and $42,670. The lowest tenth earn under $36,270, while the highest tenth earn more than $46,030.
The area has 30 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.0 of every thousand jobs. Kentucky ranks number 25th out of 26 states by median pay for this occupation. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 584th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,270 | −46.6% |
| 25th | $37,060 | −45.4% |
| Median (50th) | $38,520 | −43.3% |
| 75th | $42,670 | −37.1% |
| 90th | $46,030 | −32.2% |
| Mean | $41,720 | −38.5% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $38,520 goes as far as $42,705 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 37.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$38,520as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,705US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $38,520 a year, 43.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,270 to $46,030 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 30 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 25th of 26 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $38,520, or $18.52 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 $67,890, so pay in Kentucky is 43.3% 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 Kentucky earns more than $46,030 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,270 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.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 30 jobs in this occupation in Kentucky. Self-employed workers are not included.
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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