47
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is a notable career in the 47 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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13
| soc | 47-5023 |
| title | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas |
| onet code | 47-5023.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 47 |
| tot emp | 17,410 |
| a mean | 63,260 |
| a median | 59,600 |
| a pct10 | 44,450 |
| a pct25 | 49,720 |
| a pct75 | 73,530 |
| a pct90 | 87,760 |
| h mean | 30 |
| h median | 28 |
The day-to-day work of a earth drillers, except oil and gas typically centers on operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and Equipment Maintenance. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.25 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working earth drillers, except oil and gas, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (72.8%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Massachusetts at $80,780 and lowest in West Virginia at $46,920 — a 1.7× spread. The top five states (Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Alaska, Washington) average $77,926. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $80,780 | $80,800 | $66,420 | $95,850 | 160 |
| Illinois | $79,860 | $80,420 | $56,650 | $105,350 | 410 |
| New Jersey | $78,340 | $80,980 | $46,440 | $129,540 | 390 |
| Alaska | $76,080 | $75,580 | $54,790 | $94,750 | 170 |
| Washington | $74,570 | $74,230 | $51,620 | $99,960 | 280 |
| New York | $74,150 | $76,080 | $51,140 | $98,840 | 580 |
| Nevada | $70,340 | $70,710 | $50,040 | $92,050 | 670 |
| Delaware | $68,070 | $75,160 | $59,280 | $127,550 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $67,030 | $67,310 | $51,540 | $81,710 | 210 |
| Colorado | $66,500 | $71,660 | $51,010 | $97,950 | 310 |
| Minnesota | $65,960 | $66,760 | $41,270 | $90,920 | 280 |
| Vermont | $64,980 | $70,340 | $53,700 | $90,510 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $64,800 | $67,340 | $44,810 | $97,190 | 70 |
| Oregon | $64,390 | $69,230 | $45,870 | $98,820 | 350 |
| Montana | $62,920 | $68,760 | $45,190 | $78,350 | 200 |
| Wyoming | $62,740 | $69,150 | $54,340 | $81,490 | 70 |
| California | $62,280 | $66,390 | $47,140 | $86,750 | 1,400 |
| Arizona | $61,640 | $65,000 | $51,240 | $83,580 | 680 |
| Virginia | $61,290 | $64,120 | $45,510 | $100,950 | 430 |
| Louisiana | $61,170 | $68,490 | $46,490 | $95,290 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $61,050 | $65,180 | $52,340 | $80,650 | 220 |
| Alabama | $60,440 | $58,140 | $45,000 | $68,970 | 120 |
| Indiana | $59,830 | $62,480 | $48,560 | $92,150 | 380 |
| Maryland | $59,780 | $62,260 | $47,970 | $76,580 | 180 |
| Michigan | $57,930 | $58,130 | $44,840 | $69,620 | 780 |
| Utah | $57,850 | $57,830 | $46,020 | $77,480 | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,770 | $61,700 | $45,530 | $81,350 | 820 |
| South Dakota | $57,600 | $57,640 | $48,140 | $70,740 | 150 |
| Iowa | $57,570 | $56,380 | $38,090 | $79,040 | 140 |
| Mississippi | $57,450 | $62,220 | $35,410 | $115,990 | 190 |
| North Dakota | $56,840 | $60,970 | $35,320 | $83,400 | 100 |
| Arkansas | $56,630 | $61,540 | $46,180 | $96,190 | 110 |
| Kansas | $56,340 | $57,410 | $39,440 | $74,990 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $56,140 | $64,310 | $40,480 | $121,890 | 150 |
| North Carolina | $56,100 | $58,500 | $37,400 | $83,730 | 390 |
| Kentucky | $55,430 | $56,330 | $45,400 | $71,730 | 140 |
| Maine | $54,970 | $55,910 | $40,390 | $74,350 | 120 |
| Ohio | $54,460 | $59,750 | $29,130 | $95,840 | 400 |
| New Mexico | $54,060 | $53,920 | $35,870 | $76,800 | 170 |
| Texas | $53,850 | $59,700 | $42,570 | $79,840 | 1,230 |
| Georgia | $53,780 | $55,690 | $42,900 | $77,180 | 530 |
| Florida | $52,720 | $54,750 | $41,890 | $68,600 | 1,150 |
| Idaho | $50,330 | $56,800 | $41,980 | $79,970 | 660 |
| Tennessee | $50,160 | $56,020 | $37,080 | $74,860 | 470 |
| Missouri | $50,070 | $52,740 | $39,970 | $67,920 | 440 |
| Nebraska | $49,460 | $52,370 | $45,650 | $63,040 | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $48,980 | $65,060 | $42,970 | $133,550 | 200 |
| West Virginia | $46,920 | $50,460 | $38,490 | $63,370 | 140 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for earth drillers, except oil and gas. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Auger Operator or Blast Driller frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas compares to others in the 47 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
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