Skilled Trades
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
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.
Median salary
$59,600
Typical range
$44k – $88k
Job outlook
+3% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Entry / Junior
$44,450
~2 yrs to advance
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Established
$59,600
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Senior
$73,680
Key skills
A typical day
- •Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
- •Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
- •Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- •Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- •Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.