How to become an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator

Official title: Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas

Also called: Pulling Unit Operator, Reverse Unit Operator, Rig Operator, Service Operator, Service Rig Operator, Tool Pusher, Well Servicing Rig Operator, Wireline Operator

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.

Main tasks

• Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
• Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
• Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions.
• Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.
• Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
• Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells.
• Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil.
• Drive truck-mounted units to well sites.

How to become one

Although formal education is not typically required to become an oil or gas worker, some employers require or prefer that candidates have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Oil and gas workers learn on the job.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $58,160 a year The middle half earn $47,480 to $73,230.
• About 43,800 people work in this job now, and about 44,300 are projected by 2035. (+1.1%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
• Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator?

Although formal education is not typically required to become an oil or gas worker, some employers require or prefer that candidates have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Oil and gas workers learn on the job.

How much does an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,160 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,480 to $73,230.

Is an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 43,800 people now and 44,300 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator?

Usually not. Only 13% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Oil and Gas Service Unit Operator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.