Earth Drillers

Also Called: Blast Hole Driller, Drill Operator, Driller, Well Driller

High School Diploma/GED

usually needed

Not Available
(Students Only)
Match Percentage

$40,560

Entry Salary

Bright

Job outlook

What Earth Drillers do

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.

  • Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
  • Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
  • Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
Industry Areas:

Transportation

Training Program Areas:

Heavy Equipment Operations • OCT-Only Transportation

Expand For Additional Details

Work Context

  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  • Face-to-Face Discussions
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Exposed to Hazardous Equipment

Tools

  • Rotary drills
  • Hydraulic rock drills
  • Core drills
  • Remote reading thermometers
  • Water pumps

Technology

Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Mobile location based services software
Global positioning system GPS software
Office suite software
Microsoft Office

The Education & Training You Need

Skills

  • Operation Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Critical Thinking
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Monitoring

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology
mechanical
design
Business
management
Safety and Government
public safety and security
Transportation
movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Education

  • 73% High school diploma or equivalent
  • 15% Less than high school diploma
  • 12% Post-secondary certificate

Experience

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

What are some related occupations at different educational levels?


Job Training Match

Earth Drillers Currently Selected

Educational Level

High School Diploma or Equivalent

 Job Training Match

Civil Engineering Technologists & Technicians

Educational Level

Post-secondary, non-degree

 Job Training Match

Plumbers, Pipefitters, & Steamfitters

Educational Level

Associate's Degree

Industrial Production Managers

Educational Level

Bachelor's Degree

Educational Level

Advanced Degree

What are your training options on the pathway to this occupation?

Advanced Training

There are currently no advanced training opportunities for this career.

ACT & College

  • Arizona Western College

    Yuma, AZ

  • Atlantic Technical Center

    Coconut Creek, FL

Apprenticeships

Earn while you learn. Apprenticeships combines paid training & specialized classes to help workers enter highly skilled occupations. Click here for to locate an apprenticeship near you.

Military

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Are You a Good Fit?

Occupation Traits

    • Conventional (Organizer)
    • Investigative (Thinker)
    • Realistic (Doer)

Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Initiative
  • Independence

Values

  • Support
  • Independence
  • Working Conditions

Abilities

  • Hand and Finger Use
  • Controlled Movement
  • Verbal
  • Visual Understanding

This is what Earth Drillers across the country typically make.

$19.50 / hour
$40,560 /year

Entry Level

$27.24 / hour
$56,660 /year

Median Level

$39.56 / hour
$82,280 /year

Experienced Level

Income information reflects a regional average.
Income information reflects a national average.

This career’s National Job Outlook is

Bright

Please be sure to verify the outlook of this occupation with your instructor.

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