47
Rotary Drill Operators, 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 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 47-5012 |
| title | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas |
| onet code | 47-5012.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 47 |
| tot emp | 13,090 |
| a mean | 70,080 |
| a median | 65,010 |
| a pct10 | 42,750 |
| a pct25 | 52,600 |
| a pct75 | 81,550 |
| a pct90 | 98,510 |
| h mean | 33 |
| h median | 31 |
The day-to-day work of a rotary drill operators, oil and gas typically centers on train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective. 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 Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.39 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working rotary drill operators, oil and gas, the most common entry qualification is a Less than a High School Diploma (31.1%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 9% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $99,470 and lowest in Kentucky at $42,000 — a 2.4× spread. The top five states (California, Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, Alabama) average $85,752. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $99,470 | $89,370 | $42,320 | $121,120 | 410 |
| Alaska | $86,750 | $114,240 | $61,980 | $112,490 | 170 |
| New Mexico | $85,540 | $79,930 | $55,700 | $99,250 | 650 |
| Minnesota | $79,760 | $70,680 | $52,380 | $80,560 | 50 |
| Alabama | $77,240 | $79,490 | $53,360 | $108,630 | 90 |
| Colorado | $76,290 | $74,150 | $58,870 | $95,450 | 200 |
| Arizona | $75,540 | $67,060 | $31,740 | $100,270 | 60 |
| Florida | $75,410 | $71,640 | $46,100 | $96,930 | 110 |
| North Dakota | $69,560 | $74,920 | $50,520 | $107,650 | 280 |
| Utah | $68,660 | $72,600 | $56,520 | $100,880 | 200 |
| Arkansas | $67,800 | $62,850 | $41,050 | $73,990 | 30 |
| Texas | $66,430 | $72,400 | $39,710 | $100,570 | 5,940 |
| Oklahoma | $65,080 | $66,350 | $45,510 | $82,680 | 1,570 |
| Mississippi | $62,410 | $58,450 | $30,770 | $95,650 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,350 | $61,930 | $52,260 | $73,230 | 440 |
| Ohio | $61,380 | $61,950 | $40,690 | $80,850 | 160 |
| Louisiana | $60,930 | $59,710 | $31,190 | $81,830 | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $59,750 | $61,090 | $51,730 | $83,110 | — |
| Kansas | $58,580 | $63,470 | $48,210 | $75,780 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $58,040 | $61,460 | $41,980 | $81,800 | 260 |
| Wyoming | $56,600 | $59,800 | $37,970 | $92,180 | 230 |
| Michigan | $54,070 | $59,460 | $47,020 | $76,580 | 100 |
| South Carolina | $50,850 | $54,500 | $46,340 | $69,550 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $43,950 | $48,320 | $32,610 | $77,330 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $42,000 | $44,080 | $38,720 | $49,850 | 120 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for rotary drill operators, oil and gas. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Blast Driller or Cable Driller frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Rotary Drill Operators, 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 Rotary Drill Operators, 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.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
Explore More Data Tools
For adjacent public-data tools, methodology notes, and network updates, visit DataPeek Facts.