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Well Drilling

Types of Degrees Well Drilling Majors Are Earning

Those studying Well Drilling can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	7

What Well Drilling Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Well Drilling emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Well Drilling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Well Drilling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Well Drilling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Well Drilling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Well Drilling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Well Drilling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Global positioning system GPS software	Mobile location based services software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Well Drilling graduates include:

• Blast Driller
• Driller
• Equipment Operator
• Blast Hole Driller
• Water Blaster
• Directional Drill Operator
• Well Driller
• Core Driller
• Directional Driller
• Drill Operator
• Drilling Machine Operator
• Drill Hand
• Firer
• Oil Well Shooter
• Shot Firer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Well Drilling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	43.6%
Less than a high school diploma	24.1%
Postsecondary certificate	14.6%
Some college courses	8.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Bachelor’s degree	4.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Well Drilling?

Gender Distribution

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Well Drilling graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3	42.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1	14.3%
Black or African American	3	42.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Well Drilling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Well Drilling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,651
4 years	$39,033
5 years	$45,465

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,465 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Well Drilling Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Well Drilling graduates earn a median of $39,033 four years after completion — roughly 3% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	46.05
Blasting/Blaster	46.0505
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	46.0502
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services, Other	46.0599
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	46.0503
Building Construction Technology/Technician	46.0415
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	46.0412
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	46.0403
Building/Property Maintenance	46.0401
Carpentry/Carpenter	46.0201
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	46.0413
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	46.0402

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.