211/Oil and Gas Extraction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
91K
employees, 2023
91K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 5,205 US Oil and Gas Extraction business locations employed 90,968 people and paid $17.5 billion in annual payroll, $192,366 per employee on average. Employment was up 7.3% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
5,205
-1.3% vs 2022
Employees
90,968
+7.3% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$17.5B
+18.9% vs 2022
Average pay
$192,366
+10.8% 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 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 | 1,994 | 41,550 | $224,084 | 0.35% |
| Oklahoma | 809 | 10,341 | $191,566 | 0.72% |
| Colorado | 254 | 5,564 | $227,302 | 0.22% |
| Louisiana | 295 | 5,266 | $142,498 | 0.31% |
| California | 125 | 4,397 | $168,775 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 165 | 4,033 | $195,968 | 0.07% |
| New Mexico | 127 | 3,984 | $148,008 | 0.60% |
| North Dakota | 71 | 2,618 | $171,929 | 0.74% |
| West Virginia | 127 | 1,911 | $110,331 | 0.35% |
| Alaska | 21 | 1,654* | $240,727 | 0.63% |
| Ohio | 155 | 1,552 | $74,421 | 0.03% |
| Kansas | 287 | 1,451 | $76,285 | 0.12% |
| Wyoming | 107 | 1,223 | $147,805 | 0.58% |
| Alabama | 18 | 701* | $147,896 | 0.04% |
| Utah | 39 | 678 | $165,236 | 0.04% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 38.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Oil and Gas Extraction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 363 | 15,750 | $270,498 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 293 | 5,707 | $246,423 |
| Midland, TX | 251 | 5,008 | $223,919 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 352 | 4,050 | $204,737 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 166 | 3,347 | $285,041 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 43 | 2,329 | $163,659 |
| Tulsa, OK | 221 | 1,976 | $136,584 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 49 | 1,954 | $219,616 |
| Carlsbad-Artesia, NM | 40 | 1,528 | $159,276 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 44 | 1,481* | $194,335 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 21 | 1,478* | $152,078 |
| Greeley, CO | 27 | 1,171 | $145,953 |
| Lafayette, LA | 50 | 942 | $141,660 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 81 | 922 | $179,669 |
| Hobbs, NM | 29 | 861 | $161,127 |
Business size
US Oil and Gas Extraction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,211 | 61.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 727 | 14.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 500 | 9.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 428 | 8.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 169 | 3.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 111 | 2.1% |
| 250 to 499 | 35 | 0.7% |
| 500 to 999 | 17 | 0.3% |
| 1,000 or more | 7 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Oil and Gas Extraction and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 21
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2111 | Oil and Gas Extraction | 90,968 | $192,366 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Oil and Gas Extraction in the US?
90,968 people worked at 5,205 US Oil and Gas Extraction business locations in 2023, up 7.3% from 2022. That is 0.07% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Oil and Gas Extraction?
$192,366 a year per employee in 2023, from $17.5 billion in annual payroll (up 10.8% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Oil and Gas Extraction jobs?
Texas had the most, with 41,550 employees in 2023, followed by Oklahoma (10,341) and Colorado (5,564).
Which metro areas have the most Oil and Gas Extraction jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (15,750), Oklahoma City, OK (5,707), Midland, TX (5,008) had the most Oil and Gas Extraction employees in 2023.
Are most Oil and Gas Extraction businesses small?
85.3% of the 5,205 Oil and Gas Extraction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 24 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.