Career profile · 47-5023
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
- Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Design
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 39.3%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 68.3%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 83.5%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 44.7%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 43.8%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 52.4%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 76.1%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Time Pressure | Once a year or more but not every month | 25.1%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 83.8%07/2017 · sample 20 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 60.8%07/2017 · sample 20 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Mobile location based services software: Global positioning system GPS software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for earth drillers, except oil and gas
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- Typical on-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 48 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,440 | $22.33 | 170 |
| Alaska | $80,040 | $38.48 | 290 |
| Arizona | $58,870 | $28.30 | 850 |
| Arkansas | $46,160 | $22.19 | 110 |
| California | $66,910 | $32.17 | 1,630 |
| Colorado | $64,820 | $31.16 | 280 |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | $31.59 | 140 |
| Delaware | $57,160 | $27.48 | Not published |
| Florida | $55,320 | $26.60 | 1,630 |
| Georgia | $50,030 | $24.06 | 870 |
| Idaho | $54,830 | $26.36 | 450 |
| Illinois | $79,080 | $38.02 | 330 |
| Indiana | $62,750 | $30.17 | 440 |
| Iowa | $54,000 | $25.96 | 190 |
| Kansas | $65,600 | $31.54 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $56,160 | $27.00 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $55,690 | $26.77 | 190 |
| Maine | $45,560 | $21.91 | 70 |
| Maryland | $61,260 | $29.45 | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $64,180 | $30.86 | 130 |
| Michigan | $62,570 | $30.08 | 850 |
| Minnesota | $63,790 | $30.67 | 340 |
| Mississippi | $60,680 | $29.17 | 250 |
| Missouri | $51,530 | $24.77 | 370 |
| Montana | $71,470 | $34.36 | 180 |
| Nebraska | $60,200 | $28.94 | 210 |
| Nevada | $61,030 | $29.34 | 1,350 |
| New Hampshire | $66,410 | $31.93 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $77,950 | $37.48 | 400 |
| New Mexico | $60,140 | $28.91 | 100 |
| New York | $60,860 | $29.26 | 670 |
| North Carolina | $57,300 | $27.55 | 290 |
| North Dakota | $62,570 | $30.08 | 110 |
| Ohio | $61,010 | $29.33 | 390 |
| Oklahoma | $54,180 | $26.05 | 250 |
| Oregon | $64,920 | $31.21 | 510 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,400 | $27.60 | 730 |
| South Carolina | $61,500 | $29.57 | 120 |
| South Dakota | $57,160 | $27.48 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $58,670 | $28.21 | 450 |
| Texas | $58,700 | $28.22 | 1,930 |
| Utah | $60,490 | $29.08 | 310 |
| Vermont | $61,420 | $29.53 | 70 |
| Virginia | $55,470 | $26.67 | 440 |
| Washington | $80,490 | $38.70 | 210 |
| West Virginia | $55,540 | $26.70 | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $68,320 | $32.84 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $64,450 | $30.98 | 90 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 112 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators→
- Crane and Tower Operators→
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas→
- Dredge Operators→
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining→
- Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters→
- Extraction Workers, All Other→
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-5023.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.