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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is licensed or registered in 33 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 3 professional certifications to Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Well Driller (CWD). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 40.0 pounds. For 11.5% of workers the job requires heavy strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (83.6%), cannot pause their work (over 55%), and are exposed to the outdoors (over 99.5%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most earth drillers, except oil and gas are Utility System Construction (45% of the jobs counted, median pay $61,260), Other Specialty Trade Contractors (17% of the jobs counted, median pay $58,370), Support Activities for Mining (13% of the jobs counted, median pay $59,790), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (8% of the jobs counted, median pay $56,160) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Utility System Construction ($61,260), Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying ($59,980), Support Activities for Mining ($59,790). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For earth drillers, except oil and gas, employers reported 159.9 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 6 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Construction and extraction", which includes this career, 16.4% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,561 for union members and $1,004 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to earth drillers, except oil and gas.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Natural resources, construction, and maintenance", which includes this career, 74% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 79% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 78% had paid sick leave, 86% paid vacation and 89% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to earth drillers, except oil and gas, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $48.59 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Natural resources, construction, and maintenance" in June 2026 ($32.96 in wages and salaries and $15.63 in benefits, 32.2% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for earth drillers, except oil and gas are: spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (94%), wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (93%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (93%), exposed to hazardous equipment (88%), freedom to make decisions (87%), exposed to whole body vibration (85%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (30% of 16 respondents) was "none"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (28% of 16 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to earth drillers, except oil and gas in the work done and the skills used: Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas, Helpers--Extraction Workers, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Continuous Mining Machine Operators, Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare earth drillers, except oil and gas with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Well Drilling/Driller
CIP 46.0504