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Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High 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 $67,890 Median per year · $32.64/hr Most earn $47,010–$101,860

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
  • Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.
  • Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
  • Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.
  • Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps.
  • Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,100 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

  • Support activities for mining73.0%
  • Oil and gas extraction16.8%

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

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

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: 2 to 4 years

You usually can't start as a Rotary Drill Operator straight out of school. Most people begin as a helper or roustabout on an oil and gas site and build about 2 to 4 years of field experience before running a drill, though a high school diploma is the usual education.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with solid math and shop or mechanics classes, since drill crews rely on measuring, machines, and safe equipment handling.

  2. Helper, Extraction Workers

    6 months to 1 year

    Start as a helper on a drilling or extraction crew, learning rig equipment, safety rules, and how the crew works together.

  3. Roustabout, Oil and Gas

    1 to 2 years

    Do general field work such as setting up equipment, moving pipe, and maintaining sites, which builds the hands-on experience employers want before handling drills.

  4. Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas

    2 to 4 years total before this job

    Set up and run rotary drills to bring up oil and gas or core samples, using the skills and safety habits built in the earlier roles.

Where it can lead

  1. Driller

    3 to 5 years of experience first

    Lead the drilling operation on a shift, making decisions about drilling speed, equipment, and safety, and supervising the crew.

  2. Tool Pusher

    5 or more years of experience first

    Supervise the whole rig crew and daily operations, which takes strong leadership, planning, and a record of safe, efficient work.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and shop or mechanics classesAlgebra, geometry, and hands-on machine or auto classes build the measuring and equipment skills used on drill crews.
  • Join a Future Farmers or technical trades clubClubs that build practical skills and teamwork show employers you can work well in a crew.
  • Earn a basic first aid or CPR certificateMany schools and community centers offer these courses, and rig jobs value people who know safety basics.
  • Get a summer job doing physical outdoor workYard work, construction helper, or farm labor builds stamina and comfort with hard, outdoor schedules.

In college

  • Take math, physics, and engineering-related coursesClasses in geometry, physics, and mechanics help you understand how drilling equipment and pressure work.
  • Pursue a technical certificate in welding, industrial maintenance, or oilfield operationsMany community colleges offer short programs that make you a stronger candidate for helper and roustabout roles.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job at a drilling or oilfield services companyReal field experience is one of the most useful things you can bring to a job application in this field.
  • Get OSHA-style safety trainingSafety training such as OSHA 10-hour courses, which many schools and employers recognize, shows you take rig safety seriously.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local oil and gas company, drilling contractor, or staffing agency about entry-level helper jobs, and mention you are willing to work outdoors and on shifts.
  • Get a basic safety certification if you can, such as first aid, CPR, or a site safety course, since employers value people who already understand rig safety.
  • Pay attention to pay and typical wages near you on your results page, and check the career's own page for the full range before you decide.

Related jobs that often lead here

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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