Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Machines can already do 15% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 51%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 15% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2035, and 51% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 44,970 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $46,960 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 77% for contact with people.
- Also called: Field Service Roustabout, Floor Hand, Oil and Gas Roustabout, Oil Field Roustabout.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs | 16% | 20% to 60% | |
| Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools | 15% | 3% to 30% | |
| Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks | 12% | 3% to 30% | |
| Lay gas and oil pipelines | 9% | 20% to 60% | |
| Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand | 9% | 20% to 60% | |
| Bolt together pump and engine parts | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks | 6% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills roustabouts, oil and gas use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $54,890
- Fallers46% of tasks by 2035 · US median $52,100
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $47,630
- Segmental Pavers40% of tasks by 2035
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Roustabouts, Oil and Gas?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2035. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of roustabouts, oil and gas?
Machines can do 15% of the tasks of roustabouts, oil and gas today and 51% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-5071.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/roustabouts-oil-and-gas/