As of June 2026, Roustabouts, Oil and Gas has an AI-exposure score of 42/100 (Moderate exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
More exposed than 14% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$46,960. About 4,300 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Construction roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (62%).
- Lay gas and oil pipelines.
- Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.
- Bolt together pump and engine parts.
- Clean trucks used in the fields.
- Guide cranes to move loads about decks.
- Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
- Cut down and remove trees and brush to clear drill sites, to reduce fire hazards, and to make way for roads to sites.
- Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.
- Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
- Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.
- Clean up spilled oil by bailing it into barrels.
- Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.
- Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
Grounded in O*NET + the Anthropic Economic Index + BLS — personalized to your role.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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