Crude Petroleum Extraction — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the crude petroleum extraction industry earns $221,671 per year ($106.57/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Crude Petroleum Extraction Workers Earn?
At $221,671/year (equivalent to $106.57/hour for a full-time worker), crude petroleum extraction wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical crude petroleum extraction business employs 19 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average crude petroleum extraction business generating $17.5M/year with 19 employees at $221,671 each, total payroll represents roughly 24.1% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a crude petroleum extractionbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $288,172/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 19 employees = ~$4,211,749/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $106.57/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $17.5M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Crude Petroleum Extraction revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do crude petroleum extraction employees make?
- The average crude petroleum extraction employee earns $221,671 per year, which is equivalent to $106.57/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the crude petroleum extraction industry?
- The crude petroleum extraction industry employs 83,522 workers across 4,431 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 19 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).