Also called: Driller, Drilling Rig Operator
Runs the controls of the drilling rig that bores wells.
From the driller's cabin you control the giant drill using joysticks and screens, watching weight and pressure readings. You lead the floor crew and stop everything the instant something looks wrong.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school plus years of rig experience working up from floorhand.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking.
Medium risk for 10 years. Automated drilling systems run more of the rig, so fewer driller seats; overseeing crews and handling surprises stay human.
Classes: Shop class, Physics, Algebra, 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.