Tool pusher
Also known as: pusher, toolpusher, rig manager, oil and gas rigging technician, toolpushers
About this occupation
Tool pushers assume responsibility over daily drilling operations. They do mostly administrative work. Tool pushers ensure that the oil rig has sufficient materials, spare parts and enough personnel to continue with the daily operations. They conduct drilling activities in accordance with scheduled programme, supervising drilling crew and equipment.
Essential skills and knowledge
- plan rig operations
- supervise worker safety
- oil rig legislation
- select well equipment
- install oil rig
- schedule shifts
- mechanics
- give instructions to staff
- plan rig moves
- monitor oil rig costs
- manage mining plant equipment
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas (O*NET 47-5011.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Start pumps that circulate mud through drill pipes and boreholes to cool drill bits and flush out drill cuttings.
- Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid.
- Listen to mud pumps and check regularly for vibration and other problems to ensure that rig pumps and drilling mud systems are working properly.
- Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered.
- Prepare mud reports, and instruct crews about the handling of any chemical additives.
- Position and align derrick elements, using harnesses and platform climbing devices.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Monitoring, Repairing
US median pay: US$58,620 a year (2025), 10,590 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 (3.6)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.3)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.2)
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.
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
- Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Wellhead Pumpers
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Hoist and Winch Operators
- Pile Driver Operators
- 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.