Service Unit Operators
O*NET title: Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
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.
Also called: Coiled Tubing Operator, Fishing Tool Operator, Gather Operator, Oil and Gas Equipment Operator, Oil and Gas Field Technician, Oil and Shale and Tar Processing Technician
Median pay
$58,160
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$38,940 – $97,560
People employed
43,140
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 2.Are you OK working outdoors in all kinds of weather?
- 3.Are you OK with hours that change?
- 4.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 5.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 6.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 7.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 8.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
The hard parts
- Work outdoors in all weather
- Exposure to hazardous conditions
- Tight deadlines are common
Service Unit Operators pay by state
Annual median pay by state (27 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What service unit operators do
- 01Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools.
- 02Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs.
- 03Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions.
- 04Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.
- 05Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads.
- 06Direct drilling crews performing activities such as assembling and connecting pipe, applying weights to drill pipes, or drilling around lodged obstacles.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from service unit operators
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers86% · +66%
- Wellhead Pumpers83% · +20%
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers81% · +6%
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators79% · +33%
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers79% · −8%
Change into service unit operators
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners79% · $49,880
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers78% · $61,770
- Wellhead Pumpers76% · $69,960
- Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants73% · $35,670
- Millwrights72% · $65,700
Majors that lead here
- Mining Technology/Technician
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.