Floor Sanders and Finishers vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: $50K vs $47K Median Pay

Floor Sanders and Finishers vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: what changes?

Consider Floor Sanders and Finishers if you want to scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish. Consider Roustabouts, Oil and Gas if you would rather assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Floor Sanders and Finishers and Roustabouts, Oil and Gas. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Floor Sanders and Finishers

National median pay (2025): $50,440
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 300

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (4,700 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Floor Sanders and Finishers brief

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

National median pay (2025): $46,960
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,100

Know before you choose

Hands-on manipulation of tools, controls, or objects occupies a meaningful part of the workday.

See the full Roustabouts, Oil and Gas brief

How the national numbers differ

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas has the edge on annual openings

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas is at 4,100 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Floor Sanders and Finishers.

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas has the edge on projected growth

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas is at 3.6% projected growth, compared with 1.4% projected growth for Floor Sanders and Finishers.

Floor Sanders and Finishers has the edge on median pay

Floor Sanders and Finishers is at $50,440, compared with $46,960 for Roustabouts, Oil and Gas.

32.5/ 100

Floor Sanders and Finishers

48/ 100

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Floor Sanders and Finishers vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Dimension	Floor Sanders and Finishers	Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Median pay (2025)	$50,440	$46,960
Pay percentile	33.8 percentile	23.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.4%	3.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	300	4,100
2025 employment	4,700	45,500
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Floor Sanders and Finishers brief Read Roustabouts, Oil and Gas brief

Floor Sanders and Finishers vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Floor Sanders and Finishers

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

How the national numbers differ

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas has the edge on annual openings

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas has the edge on projected growth

Floor Sanders and Finishers has the edge on median pay

Floor Sanders and Finishers vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

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