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Well Drilling Major

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Well Drilling

4 Associates's Degrees Annually
#234 in Popularity (Associate's)
$47,630 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Well Drilling Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many well drilling/driller graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Associate Degree 4

What Well Drilling Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to well drilling/driller were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Well Drilling/Driller Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Well Drilling/Driller Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to well drilling/driller:

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  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • 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.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Well Drilling/Driller Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a well drilling/driller student include the following:

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  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

What Can You Do With a Well Drilling Major?

People with a well drilling/driller degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas 25.2% $46,120
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas 19.9% $44,430
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 12.6% $65,230
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 24.6% $53,800

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Well Drilling?

4 Associate's Degrees Annually
50% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of well drilling/driller majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 2
Hispanic or Latino 0
White 2
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 0

How Much Do Well Drilling Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $47,570 to $56,740 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to well drilling/driller. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Well Drilling Major  ( 47570 to 56740 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some careers associated with well drilling/driller require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for well drilling/driller careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 26.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 39.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 13.6%
Some College Courses 18.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.1%
Bachelor’s Degree 2.0%

Online Well Drilling Programs

In 2020-2021, 2 schools offered a well drilling/driller program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 1 0
Bachelor’s Degree 0 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 0 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Well Drilling Worth It?

The median salary for a well drilling/driller grad is $47,630 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 19% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $154,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to well drilling/driller.

Major Number of Grads
Plumbing Technology/Plumber 1,906
Pipefitting/Pipefitter & Sprinkler Fitter 638
Other Plumbing & Related Water Supply Services 69
Blasting/Blaster 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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