21/Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
553K
employees, 2023
553K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 23,360 US Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction business locations employed 553,036 people and paid $63.6 billion in annual payroll, $115,081 per employee on average. Employment was up 8.9% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
23,360
+0.8% vs 2022
Employees
553,036
+8.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$63.6B
+14.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$115,081
+5.2% 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 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas 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 | 7,174 | 197,003 | $134,217 | 1.64% |
| Louisiana | 1,216 | 35,355 | $100,387 | 2.08% |
| Oklahoma | 2,238 | 33,467 | $118,629 | 2.34% |
| Pennsylvania | 930 | 21,964 | $114,963 | 0.38% |
| Colorado | 930 | 20,061 | $145,846 | 0.78% |
| West Virginia | 438 | 20,020 | $102,866 | 3.63% |
| North Dakota | 545 | 17,181 | $124,502 | 4.88% |
| New Mexico | 625 | 16,794 | $103,190 | 2.55% |
| California | 640 | 16,655 | $113,098 | 0.10% |
| Nevada | 209 | 14,156 | $112,893 | 1.05% |
| Wyoming | 577 | 13,639 | $107,215 | 6.43% |
| Arizona | 231 | 12,703 | $90,982 | 0.44% |
| Utah | 409 | 10,195 | $90,753 | 0.65% |
| Alaska | 163 | 9,749 | $143,196 | 3.70% |
| Ohio | 596 | 9,238 | $81,879 | 0.18% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,258 | 46,719 | $187,366 |
| Midland, TX | 845 | 28,207 | $134,752 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 759 | 12,902 | $163,798 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 830 | 12,727 | $138,139 |
| Odessa, TX | 275 | 10,062 | $102,634 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 328 | 9,687 | $95,766 |
| Lafayette, LA | 318 | 8,605 | $97,964 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 247 | 7,819 | $128,849 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 355 | 7,298 | $208,545 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 163 | 6,801 | $114,584 |
| Elko, NV | 34 | 6,040* | $116,722 |
| Williston, ND | 165 | 5,844 | $130,728 |
| Longview, TX | 235 | 5,767 | $85,497 |
| Hobbs, NM | 222 | 5,033 | $104,006 |
| Greeley, CO | 181 | 4,800 | $107,725 |
Business size
US Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 11,429 | 48.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 3,614 | 15.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,326 | 14.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,885 | 12.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,144 | 4.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 614 | 2.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 222 | 1.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 87 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 39 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction and the 3 industries directly below it
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 213 | Support Activities for Mining | 288,339 | $103,587 |
| 212 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) | 173,729 | $93,689 |
| 211 | Oil and Gas Extraction | 90,968 | $192,366 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction in the US?
553,036 people worked at 23,360 US Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction business locations in 2023, up 8.9% from 2022. That is 0.40% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction?
$115,081 a year per employee in 2023, from $63.6 billion in annual payroll (up 5.2% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction jobs?
Texas had the most, with 197,003 employees in 2023, followed by Louisiana (35,355) and Oklahoma (33,467).
Which metro areas have the most Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (46,719), Midland, TX (28,207), Oklahoma City, OK (12,902) had the most Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction employees in 2023.
Are most Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction businesses small?
78.6% of the 23,360 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 126 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.