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Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $60,190 Median per year · $28.94/hr Most earn $44,460–$83,800

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Document geological formations encountered during work.
  • Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
  • Fabricate well casings.
  • Assemble and position machines, augers, casing pipes, and other equipment, using hand and power tools.
  • Operate water-well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore, and dig for water wells or for environmental assessment purposes.
  • Retrieve lost equipment from bore holes, using retrieval tools and equipment.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Other specialty trade contractors16.0%
  • Support activities for mining12.5%
  • Power and communication line and related structures construction6.3%
  • Engineering services5.4%
  • Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying4.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Earth Driller is an entry-level job you can reach with a high school diploma. Most people first work about 6 months to a year as a helper or in a related laborer role before running drills on their own.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math, shop, and science classes, which help you read plans, measure accurately, and understand how machines and soil or rock work.

  2. Helper--Extraction Workers

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on a drilling crew setting up equipment, handling pipe and tools, and learning safety rules and how the drill runs, which builds the experience employers look for.

  3. Earth Driller

    Ongoing

    Operate rotary, churn, or pneumatic drills to tap water or salt, collect core samples for mineral exploration or soil testing, or prepare holes for explosives in mining or construction.

Where it can lead

  1. Rotary Drill Operator

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    Move to larger or more complex rigs, usually in oil and gas fields, where you handle more demanding drilling jobs and more responsibility on the crew.

  2. Blaster

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Specialize in preparing and firing explosives for mining or construction, a more senior role that involves strict safety procedures and often special licensing where you work.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, welding, or auto classesHands-on mechanical skills help you understand drills, hydraulics, and equipment repair.
  • Take earth science or geologyLearning about rock, soil, and groundwater gives you a foundation for drilling for water, minerals, or soil samples.
  • Get a summer or part-time job on a construction or landscaping crewWorking outdoors on a team teaches you physical stamina, safe equipment use, and how job sites run.
  • Get first aid and CPR certificationMany field employers value this, and it shows you take safety seriously on dangerous job sites.
  • Ask to job shadow at a drilling or excavation companySeeing the work up close helps you decide if it fits you and gives you a contact for future job leads.

In college

  • Take geology, earth science, or soil science coursesThese classes explain the materials you will drill through and how core samples are used in exploration and testing.
  • Work a summer internship or field job with a drilling, mining, or geotechnical firmReal field experience shortens the helper stage and can lead directly to an entry-level crew position.
  • Earn a commercial driver's license (CDL) if your rig requires itMany drill rigs are trucks, so a CDL can make you a stronger candidate for crew jobs.
  • Take a safety course such as OSHA 10 for constructionKnowing federal workplace safety basics is valued on drilling and blasting sites.
  • Join a campus engineering, geology, or outdoor clubClubs build teamwork and connections with people who work in mining, construction, and environmental fields.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a drilling or well-drilling company if you can shadow a crew or do a summer job. Hands-on time is the fastest way to learn the work and show employers you are reliable.
  • Take safety training early, such as first aid/CPR and any construction or mining safety course your school or town offers. Many jobs in this field value it.
  • Check local requirements for a commercial driver's license (CDL), since some drill rigs are trucks. Asking employers which licenses they want can help you plan.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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