All About Earth Drillers
Earth Driller Job Description Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap sub-surface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. May use explosives. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
What Do Earth Drillers Do On a Daily Basis?
- Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
- Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- Inspect core samples to determine nature of strata, or take samples to laboratories for analysis.
- Monitor drilling operations, checking gauges and listening to equipment to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust drilling or alter equipment.
- Withdraw drill rods from holes, and extract core samples.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
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Skills Needed to be an Earth Driller
Below is a list of the skills most Earth Drillers say are important on the job.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Related Job Titles
- Well Digger
- Jumper
- Environmental Sampler
- Raise Driller
- Hole Digger Operator
Earth Driller Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 19,600 jobs in the United States for Earth Driller. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,900 new jobs for Earth Driller by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,600 positions for Earth Driller per year.
The states with the most job growth for Earth Driller are Connecticut, Wyoming, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Maryland, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Earth Driller Salary
The average yearly salary of an Earth Driller ranges between $30,810 and $69,940.
Earth Drillers who work in Massachusetts, New York, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Earth Drillers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $38,550 |
Alaska | $58,210 |
Arizona | $51,990 |
Arkansas | $54,510 |
California | $56,080 |
Colorado | $51,070 |
Connecticut | $46,100 |
Delaware | $52,960 |
Florida | $39,360 |
Georgia | $34,820 |
Idaho | $56,760 |
Illinois | $47,840 |
Indiana | $46,750 |
Iowa | $43,920 |
Kansas | $52,580 |
Kentucky | $42,670 |
Louisiana | $47,370 |
Maine | $40,550 |
Maryland | $45,170 |
Massachusetts | $61,640 |
Michigan | $39,890 |
Minnesota | $49,270 |
Mississippi | $39,590 |
Missouri | $48,560 |
Montana | $51,670 |
Nebraska | $41,740 |
Nevada | $57,910 |
New Hampshire | $53,250 |
New Jersey | $60,610 |
New Mexico | $48,930 |
New York | $66,980 |
North Carolina | $45,160 |
North Dakota | $49,090 |
Ohio | $44,820 |
Oklahoma | $46,130 |
Oregon | $55,790 |
Pennsylvania | $42,770 |
South Carolina | $46,110 |
South Dakota | $44,870 |
Tennessee | $41,830 |
Texas | $39,360 |
Utah | $46,170 |
Vermont | $59,620 |
Virginia | $46,070 |
Washington | $54,370 |
West Virginia | $37,100 |
Wisconsin | $47,490 |
Wyoming | $49,830 |
What Tools & Technology do Earth Drillers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Earth Drillers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
- Global positioning system GPS software
Becoming an Earth Driller
Education needed to be an Earth Driller:
What work experience do I need to become an Earth Driller?
Earth Drillers Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Earth Drillers employed by various industries.
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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