Also called: Directional Drilling Specialist
Steers a drill bit underground, curving it sideways for miles to hit a target the size of a room.
You watch sensor data from the bit on screens in a rig trailer and make tiny steering adjustments. It's like playing a high-stakes video game a mile underground.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school plus years of field experience as an MWD (measurement-while-drilling) operator.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Petroleum Technology.
Growing slowly. Oil and gas jobs swing up and down with oil prices; long-term outlook is flat to slightly growing.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Automated steering systems and remote operations centers already drive many wells, cutting on-site drillers.
Classes: Geometry, Physics, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-5012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.