Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
What Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.0/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.9/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
- English Languageimportance 3.1/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Frequency of Decision Making4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.8/5
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.7/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Roof Bolters, Mining96% skill match
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders94% skill match
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers94% skill match
- Ship Engineers94% skill match
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers93% skill match
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers93% skill match
- Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers93% skill match
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.8/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Repairingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Data logger software
- Inventory tracking software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Time and attendance software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Adaptability
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where service unit operators, oil and gas make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Midland, TX101.99× national avg
- 2Odessa, TX77.08× national avg
- 3Farmington, NM44.99× national avg
- 4Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA41.15× national avg
- 5Minot, ND41.00× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Power Plant OperatorsCareer Change
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe CleanersLateral Move
- Continuous Mining Machine OperatorsLateral Move
- Engine and Other Machine AssemblersCareer Change
See the full career path from Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.