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Well Drilling

Types of Degrees Well Drilling Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Well Drilling have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	7

What Well Drilling Majors Need to Know

Studies in Well Drilling build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Well Drilling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Well Drilling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Well Drilling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Well Drilling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Well Drilling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Well Drilling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Global positioning system GPS software	Mobile location based services software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Well Drilling graduates include:

• Blast Driller
• Driller
• Equipment Operator
• Blast Hole Driller
• Water Blaster
• Directional Driller
• Core Driller
• Drill Hand
• Drill Operator
• Well Driller
• Drilling Machine Operator
• Directional Drill Operator
• Tunnel Man
• Velocity Shooter
• Oil Well Perforator Operator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Well Drilling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	43.6%
Less than a high school diploma	24.1%
Postsecondary certificate	14.6%
Some college courses	8.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Bachelor’s degree	4.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Well Drilling?

Gender Distribution

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Well Drilling graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3	42.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1	14.3%
Black or African American	3	42.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Well Drilling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Well Drilling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,651
4 years	$39,033
5 years	$45,465

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,465 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Well Drilling Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Well Drilling graduates earn a median of $39,033 four years after completion — roughly 3% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	3,471
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312
Drywall Installation/Drywaller	254
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services, Other	71
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	70

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.