All About Earth Drillers
Career 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.
Life As an Earth Driller: What Do They Do?
- Document geological formations encountered during work.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- Drive trucks, tractors, or truck-mounted drills to and from work sites.
- Fabricate well casings.
- Select the appropriate drill for the job, using knowledge of rock or soil conditions.
- Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings.
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What an Earth Driller Should Know
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
- Rock Drill Operator
- Blast Hole Driller
- Drill Operator
- Shot Core Drill Operator
- Well Drill Operator
Is There Going to be Demand for Earth Drillers?
There were about 19,600 jobs for Earth Driller in 2016 (in the United States). 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,600 job openings in this field each 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 Average Salary
The typical yearly salary for Earth Drillers is somewhere 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 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
How to Become an Earth Driller
What education or degrees do I need to become an Earth Driller?
How Long Does it Take to Become an Earth Driller?
Where Earth Drillers Work
Below are examples of industries where Earth Drillers work:
References:
Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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