Also called: Rotary Drill Operator
Operates the drilling rig, controlling the drill pipe's speed, weight, and pumps from the driller's cabin.
You sit in a high-tech chair surrounded by screens and joysticks, controlling a drill a mile down while directing the floor crew.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma plus years of rig experience.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly (about 1% over 10 years).
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Automated drilling rigs and pipe-handling robots mean fewer people per rig crew.
Classes: Physics, Shop class, Weight training.
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.