Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary by state
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is a professional role in the Construction and Extraction job family, focused on Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlEquipment MaintenanceCritical ThinkingMonitoringTroubleshooting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary by industry
Construction
12,980 workers
$65,500
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
3,720 workers
$65,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,790 workers
$61,500
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
390 workers
$58,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
150 workers
$70,500
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
90 workers
$72,500
Utilities
80 workers
$82,000
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
60 workers
$57,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas pays 2% above the average across 60 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $64,000).
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