Set up over the drilling spot
You move the rig into place, level it and line up the drill before any drilling starts.
Career profile
Earth Driller
Earth drillers run rigs to tap groundwater, sample rock, or bore construction and mining holes.
You cannot see the ground below a rig, yet you set a powerful machine to match it. Oil and gas wells fall outside this job.
A day in the life
Watch gauges and listen closely
Watch the gauges and listen to the rig, since shifting ground may mean changing pressure or drilling speed.
Add rods as you go deeper
As the hole deepens, add more drill rods and change the bit when it needs replacing.
Pull samples for soil tests
On soil-testing jobs, raise and collect rock and soil samples, then write field data in the drilling log.
Keep the rig in shape
You inspect the drilling equipment, handle routine maintenance and fix simple problems.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$60,190 a year
United States · 2025
3.6% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingTypical preparation includes related work experience and long-term training on the job. Helper positions can be an earlier starting point.
Pay
$60,190 a yearNational median for earth drillers outside oil and gas in 2025; equivalent to $28.94 an hour.
Outlook
3.6% projected growthAbout 1,400 openings per year nationally, averaged over 2025–2035, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice when a machine behaves differently.
- You like working with tools.
- You can keep careful records during physical work.
Things to weigh
- Weather, noise, standing, and repetitive handling can wear on you.
- Some crews travel between regional projects, which can mean time away from home.
Where AI may help
Some surface rock-drilling rigs can position the drill, add rods, and complete a hole automatically. Those capabilities belong to particular machines, not every drilling job.
What people still lead
You still inspect equipment, check the work area, and respond when the crew spots a problem.
What we can’t predict yet
How much of your day shifts from handling controls to monitoring automated drilling will depend on the rig and the kind of site.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median was $60,190 a year, or $28.94 an hour, in 2025. That describes employed earth drillers across specialties, not a guaranteed starting offer.
Understand the spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned $44,460 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $83,800 or more. These are positions in the wage distribution, not beginner and senior pay grades.
Look beyond new jobs
Employment is projected to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035. The roughly 1,400 annual openings also include replacing people who leave the occupation; they are not a count of jobs currently advertised.
Compare workplace types
In May 2023, earth drillers outside oil and gas averaged $26.26 an hour in architectural, engineering, and related services, compared with $28.59 in utility system construction. These national industry averages describe that period, not current offers or starting rates.
Getting started
Join a drilling crew as an assistant
Paid
- What the route involves
- Start with loading tools, collecting samples, and learning equipment checks alongside experienced drillers. Some assistant jobs accept beginners with a high school diploma or equivalent.
- What it can lead to
- You build field experience for taking on more drilling responsibility and, later, crew-lead work.
- What to check
- Check driving requirements before applying. Some jobs require a driver's license and the ability to obtain a Department of Transportation medical card.
Enter a state well-drilling apprenticeship
Missouri example: two years plus required well experience.
- What the route involves
- In Missouri, pass the applicable open-book test and submit the apprentice application and fees. Work with an on-site responsible supervisor who holds a nonrestricted permit for the same type of work. Document the required wells; your supervisor must also sign the submitted reports.
- What it can lead to
- Completing the apprenticeship makes you eligible for the applicable closed-book tests toward a nonrestricted contractor permit.
- What to check
- You must also pass those tests and complete the permit application and fees. This is Missouri's route; another state's requirements may differ.
Look for helper or apprentice roles that teach you the equipment. For water-well work, check your state's licensing rules; voluntary industry certification does not replace a required state license.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Become dependable at equipment checks, loading tools, and completing field forms.
Build drilling judgment
Learn to match bits and drill settings to changing ground.
Move toward crew leadership
Crew Lead or Team Leader can be a next step once you can help others do reliable field work.
Where you can work
Geotechnical and environmental crews
You work with a small field team collecting subsurface information and sometimes installing monitoring equipment. Regional assignments can take you to road, bridge, and building projects.
- Field work
- Outdoors
- Travel
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Water-well contractors
At domestic well sites, the work continues beyond making a hole: the crew constructs the well. Some jobs include welding steel casing, so careful assembly matters alongside drilling.
- Field work
- Outdoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a paper drill log with columns for depth, material, and observations. Invent a sequence of sand, clay, and rock layers, then have someone leave one sample's depth blank. Explain what information you would need before entering it. Notice whether careful tracking interests you as much as operating machinery.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; operating a drilling rig requires workplace training.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas — 47-5023.00. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2025 wages for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas — United States rows. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- Terracon. Driller Assistant/Exploration Team Member I — Baton Rouge. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- Terracon. Driller Assistant/Exploration Team Member — Cedar Rapids. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- National Ground Water Association. Contractor certification FAQs. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Well and Pump Installation Contractor Permitting. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- Epiroc. Machine Automation. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- Klamath Community College. $1 million drilling rig part of new apprenticeship program. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages — Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: industry profile. Accessed 2026-10-05.