Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
Also called: Daylight Driller · Drill Operator · Driller · Drilling Rig Operator · Motor Man · Oil Rig Driller
Median pay (national)
$65,010
$42,750–$98,510 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
13,090
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+0.2%
~1,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for rotary drill operators, oil and gas shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $98,510 versus $42,750 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $65,010 leaves roughly 52% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +0.2% from 2024 to 2034 — slower than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 25 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $99,470, +53% vs the national median), while Kentucky sits lowest at $42,000 — a 137% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- 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.
- Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
- Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
- Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.
- Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
- Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.
- Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
- Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
Tools & technology
- Python
- Salesforce software
- SAP software
- CAPSHER Technology SureTec
- Drillingsoftware DrillPro
- Drillingsoftware Tubular Database
- Pason WellView Field Solution
- Schlumberger Petrel E&P
- Structure query language SQL
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Public Safety and Security
- Chemistry
- Production and Processing