Drill operator
Also known as: oil rig driller, rig drill operator, rig driller
About this occupation
Drill operators supervise a team during rigging and drilling operations. They monitor well activity and take measures in case of emergencies.
Essential skills and knowledge
- work ergonomically
- liaise with managers
- evaluate employees work
- mechanics
- keep task records
- supervise worker safety
- operate drilling equipment
- install oil rig
- schedule shifts
- mine safety legislation
- write work-related reports
- present reports
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (O*NET 47-5012.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
- Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
- Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
- Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.
- Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
- Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Active Listening, Instructing
US median pay: US$67,890 a year (2025), 12,600 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalVery important (3.9)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.8)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.3)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
- Wellhead Pumpers
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
- Dredge Operators
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.