21112/Crude Petroleum Extraction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
63K
employees, 2023
63K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 3,863 US Crude Petroleum Extraction business locations employed 63,367 people and paid $12.7 billion in annual payroll, $200,722 per employee on average. Employment was up 8.2% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
3,863
-2.8% vs 2022
Employees
63,367
+8.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$12.7B
+21.7% vs 2022
Average pay
$200,722
+12.5% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Crude Petroleum Extraction in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,501 | 31,638 | $229,479 | 0.26% |
| Oklahoma | 636 | 7,112 | $210,529 | 0.50% |
| California | 106 | 4,085 | $170,700 | 0.02% |
| Colorado | 193 | 3,803 | $222,960 | 0.15% |
| Louisiana | 201 | 3,618 | $146,605 | 0.21% |
| New Mexico | 86 | 2,781 | $151,232 | 0.42% |
| North Dakota | 58 | 1,895 | $181,531 | 0.54% |
| Alaska | 17 | 1,528* | $243,387 | 0.58% |
| Kansas | 256 | 1,054 | $70,565 | 0.08% |
| Pennsylvania | 68 | 873 | $120,131 | 0.02% |
| Wyoming | 82 | 643 | $151,182 | 0.30% |
| Alabama | 12 | 636* | $151,621 | 0.03% |
| Utah | 30 | 490 | $173,763 | 0.03% |
| Illinois | 116 | 451 | $58,765 | 0.01% |
| Montana | 60 | 442 | $130,790 | 0.11% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 35.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Crude Petroleum Extraction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 266 | 11,142 | $281,756 |
| Midland, TX | 202 | 4,297 | $231,402 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 228 | 4,101 | $273,245 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 283 | 2,534 | $179,964 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 132 | 2,463 | $270,845 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 40 | 2,244 | $162,595 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 19 | 1,433* | $153,022 |
| Tulsa, OK | 197 | 1,390 | $145,463 |
| Carlsbad-Artesia, NM | 25 | 1,285 | $155,163 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 35 | 1,268* | $206,752 |
| Greeley, CO | 17 | 1,081 | $145,111 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 64 | 830 | $190,080 |
| Lafayette, LA | 38 | 827 | $150,775 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 14 | 592 | $145,846 |
| Birmingham, AL | 3 | 591* | $153,034 |
Business size
US Crude Petroleum Extraction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,540 | 65.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 532 | 13.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 322 | 8.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 259 | 6.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 101 | 2.6% |
| 100 to 249 | 66 | 1.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 22 | 0.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 15 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Crude Petroleum Extraction and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 21Oil and Gas Extraction 211Oil and Gas Extraction 2111
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 211120 | Crude Petroleum Extraction | 63,367 | $200,722 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Crude Petroleum Extraction in the US?
63,367 people worked at 3,863 US Crude Petroleum Extraction business locations in 2023, up 8.2% from 2022. That is 0.05% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Crude Petroleum Extraction?
$200,722 a year per employee in 2023, from $12.7 billion in annual payroll (up 12.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Crude Petroleum Extraction jobs?
Texas had the most, with 31,638 employees in 2023, followed by Oklahoma (7,112) and California (4,085).
Which metro areas have the most Crude Petroleum Extraction jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (11,142), Midland, TX (4,297), Oklahoma City, OK (4,101) had the most Crude Petroleum Extraction employees in 2023.
Are most Crude Petroleum Extraction businesses small?
87.9% of the 3,863 Crude Petroleum Extraction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 21 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.