Start with the answer
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas pay in Alaska and Kentucky
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas is $85,470 per year in Alaska. It is $38,520 per year in Kentucky. Alaska is 121.9% above Kentucky on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 47-5012 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 130 wage and salary jobs in Alaska and 30 in Kentucky. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings