213111/Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
54K
employees, 2023
54K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 1,786 US Drilling Oil and Gas Wells business locations employed 54,211 people and paid $5.4 billion in annual payroll, $99,045 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.8% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
1,786
-11.1% vs 2022
Employees
54,211
+1.8% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$5.4B
-0.7% vs 2022
Average pay
$99,045
-2.4% 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 Drilling Oil and Gas Wells 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 | 624 | 27,937 | $105,595 | 0.23% |
| Oklahoma | 161 | 5,360 | $88,892 | 0.37% |
| Louisiana | 139 | 3,352 | $94,490 | 0.20% |
| North Dakota | 50 | 2,577 | $108,829 | 0.73% |
| California | 51 | 1,901* | $74,817 | 0.01% |
| Wyoming | 76 | 1,864 | $118,151 | 0.88% |
| Colorado | 76 | 1,622 | $95,906 | 0.06% |
| New Mexico | 37 | 1,599 | $93,992 | 0.24% |
| Kansas | 83 | 1,245 | $60,688 | 0.10% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 1,096 | $106,050 | 0.02% |
| Ohio | 34 | 1,072 | $77,494 | 0.02% |
| Mississippi | 48 | 1,061 | $68,141 | 0.11% |
| Alaska | 11 | 823* | $124,390 | 0.31% |
| Utah | 40 | 413 | $79,400 | 0.03% |
| Michigan | 25 | 400 | $67,263 | 0.01% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 40.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Drilling Oil and Gas Wells employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 131 | 8,355 | $150,361 |
| Midland, TX | 62 | 3,043 | $102,731 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 56 | 2,274 | $109,874 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 29 | 1,338* | $91,474 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 18 | 1,252* | $75,497 |
| Lafayette, LA | 31 | 1,166 | $79,280 |
| Anchorage, AK | 8 | 809* | $124,153 |
| Williston, ND | 12 | 751 | $126,787 |
| Casper, WY | 16 | 705* | $144,081 |
| Odessa, TX | 18 | 695 | $84,984 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 3 | 693* | $85,091 |
| Tulsa, OK | 23 | 662 | $71,725 |
| Dickinson, ND | 10 | 599 | $109,948 |
| New Iberia, LA | 6 | 555* | $122,110 |
| Jackson, MS | 9 | 485* | $69,326 |
Business size
US Drilling Oil and Gas Wells business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 979 | 54.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 218 | 12.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 190 | 10.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 207 | 11.6% |
| 50 to 99 | 89 | 5.0% |
| 100 to 249 | 60 | 3.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 27 | 1.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 10 | 0.6% |
| 1,000 or more | 6 | 0.3% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 21Support Activities for Mining 213Support Activities for Mining 2131Support Activities for Mining 21311
Questions and answers
How many people work in Drilling Oil and Gas Wells in the US?
54,211 people worked at 1,786 US Drilling Oil and Gas Wells business locations in 2023, up 1.8% from 2022. That is 0.04% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Drilling Oil and Gas Wells?
$99,045 a year per employee in 2023, from $5.4 billion in annual payroll (down 2.4% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Drilling Oil and Gas Wells jobs?
Texas had the most, with 27,937 employees in 2023, followed by Oklahoma (5,360) and Louisiana (3,352).
Which metro areas have the most Drilling Oil and Gas Wells jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (8,355), Midland, TX (3,043), Oklahoma City, OK (2,274) had the most Drilling Oil and Gas Wells employees in 2023.
Are most Drilling Oil and Gas Wells businesses small?
77.7% of the 1,786 Drilling Oil and Gas Wells business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 16 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.