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Life As a Rotary Drill Operator

Job Description & Duties 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.

Drill Operator Responsibilities

Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.
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.
Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.

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Drill Operator Skills

Rotary Drill Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Types of Rotary Drill Operator

Drilling Rig Operator
Relief Driller
Tool Pusher
Cable Tool Driller
Core Driller

Are There Job Opportunities for Rotary Drill Operators?

In the United States, there were 16,700 jobs for Rotary Drill Operator in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 24.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,100 new jobs for Rotary Drill Operator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,600 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Drill Operator are Wyoming, North Dakota, and Georgia. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, Nebraska, or Indiana. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Drill Operator Make?

The salary for Rotary Drill Operators ranges between about $32,110 and $87,790 a year.

Rotary Drill Operators who work in Alaska, Indiana, or North Dakota, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Rotary Drill Operators in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$42,450
Alaska	$74,290
Arizona	$48,650
Arkansas	$43,870
California	$66,630
Colorado	$55,870
Florida	$47,130
Georgia	$34,310
Illinois	$45,100
Indiana	$67,000
Kansas	$44,920
Louisiana	$52,520
Maryland	$56,540
Michigan	$41,080
New Mexico	$44,540
New York	$53,120
North Dakota	$66,440
Ohio	$45,210
Oklahoma	$57,620
Pennsylvania	$54,040
Texas	$56,490
Utah	$56,700
Virginia	$52,530
West Virginia	$55,790
Wyoming	$61,510

Tools & Technologies Used by Rotary Drill Operators

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Rotary Drill Operators:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word

How to Become a Drill Operator

What education is needed to be a Rotary Drill Operator?

What work experience do I need to become a Drill Operator?

Those interested in being a Rotary Drill Operator may also be interested in:

Boilermakers

References:

Image Credit: Tomwsulcer via Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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