Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: Job Description
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface 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. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
Featured schools near , edit
What Do Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Do?
The core tasks performed by earth drillers, except oil and gas cover:
- Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
- Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
- Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
- Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
- Verify depths and alignments of boring positions.
- Perform routine maintenance and upgrade work on machines and equipment, such as replacing parts, building up drill bits, and lubricating machinery.
What Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Need to Know
Top earth drillers, except oil and gas combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Auger Operator
- Blast Driller
- Blast Hole Driller
- Boring Machine Operator
- Churn Drill Operator
- Churn Driller
- Construction Driller
- Construction Well Drill Operator
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 365,705 earth drillers, except oil and gas working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,437 |
| Hourly median | $25.69 |
| 10th percentile | $29,425 |
| 25th percentile | $41,431 |
| 75th percentile | $65,443 |
| 90th percentile | $77,449 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $80,780 |
| Illinois | $79,860 |
| New Jersey | $78,340 |
| Alaska | $76,080 |
| Washington | $74,570 |
| New York | $74,150 |
| Nevada | $70,340 |
| Delaware | $68,070 |
| Wisconsin | $67,030 |
| Colorado | $66,500 |
| Minnesota | $65,960 |
| Vermont | $64,980 |
| New Hampshire | $64,800 |
| Oregon | $64,390 |
| Montana | $62,920 |
| Wyoming | $62,740 |
| California | $62,280 |
| Arizona | $61,640 |
| Virginia | $61,290 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 |
| Connecticut | $61,050 |
| Alabama | $60,440 |
| Indiana | $59,830 |
| Maryland | $59,780 |
| Michigan | $57,930 |
| Utah | $57,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,770 |
| South Dakota | $57,600 |
| Iowa | $57,570 |
| Mississippi | $57,450 |
| North Dakota | $56,840 |
| Arkansas | $56,630 |
| Kansas | $56,340 |
| South Carolina | $56,140 |
| North Carolina | $56,100 |
| Kentucky | $55,430 |
| Maine | $54,970 |
| Ohio | $54,460 |
| New Mexico | $54,060 |
| Texas | $53,850 |
| Georgia | $53,780 |
| Florida | $52,720 |
| Idaho | $50,330 |
| Tennessee | $50,160 |
| Missouri | $50,070 |
| Nebraska | $49,460 |
| Oklahoma | $48,980 |
| West Virginia | $46,920 |
Where Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Earn the Most
Compensation for earth drillers, except oil and gas differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $66,872 | 11.6% | 0.87 |
| Far Western US | $66,435 | 16.5% | 1.77 |
| New England | $65,693 | 3.6% | 1.10 |
| Great Lakes | $62,625 | 12.5% | 1.03 |
| Rocky Mountains | $57,318 | 10.0% | 4.01 |
| Plains States | $55,873 | 8.4% | 1.39 |
| Southwest | $55,761 | 13.1% | 1.21 |
| Southeast | $55,108 | 24.3% | 1.08 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $92,240 | 50 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $84,110 | 100 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $80,030 | 260 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $79,050 | 120 |
| Billings, MT | MT | $78,350 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $78,340 | 550 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $74,570 | 140 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $74,290 | 40 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of earth drillers, except oil and gas are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 11,730 | $59,440 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 3,200 | $61,290 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,390 | $57,000 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 450 | $57,820 |
| Information | 150 | $53,520 |
| Utilities | 90 | $65,580 |
| Manufacturing | 90 | $62,130 |
Below are examples of industries where earth drillers, except oil and gas work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for earth drillers, except oil and gas is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
Education and Training
Typical earth drillers, except oil and gas positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Construction Laborers (Primary-Long)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
- Pile Driver Operators (Supplemental)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Long)
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas (Supplemental)
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (Primary-Short)
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future earth drillers, except oil and gas typically earn programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-5023.00 (Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas).
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.