Occupation salary profile

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

SOC 47-5012 BLS OEWS May 2025

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. Excludes “Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas” (47-5023).

National median · BLS
$67,890
▲ +4.43% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$72,130
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
12,600
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$47,010
25th$53,810
Median (50th)$67,890
75th$81,360
90th — top pay$101,860

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

BLS projects employment of rotary drill operators, oil and gas to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
12,700 → 12,900
+100 jobs
Projected change
+0.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Operation and Control3.6
  • Operations Monitoring3.6
  • Monitoring3.5
  • Active Listening3.4
  • Instructing3.4
  • Coordination3.3
  • Speaking3.3
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical3.9
  • Mathematics3.8
  • Administration and Management3.3
  • Education and Training3.2
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.1
  • Public Safety and Security2.8
  • Chemistry2.8
  • Production and Processing2.7
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordPythonSalesforce softwareSAP softwareCAPSHER Technology SureTecDrillingsoftware DrillProDrillingsoftware Tubular DatabasePason WellView Field SolutionSchlumberger Petrel E&PStructure query language SQL

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What rotary drill operators, oil and gas do

  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
  • 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.
  • Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
  • Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.
  • Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
  • Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
  • Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.
Also called
Drill OperatorDrillerOil Well DrillerRotary DrillerDaylight DrillerMotor ManOil Rig DrillerRelief DrillerRig OperatorRotary Drill Operator
More job titles for this occupation (26)
Blast DrillerCable DrillerCable Tool DrillerClean Out DrillerCore Drill OperatorCore DrillerDirectional Drill OperatorDirectional DrillerDrill HandDrilling Field OperatorDrilling Field ProfessionalDrilling Machine OperatorDrilling Rig OperatorFracturing Rotary Drill OperatorGas Operations Management Professional (Gas Ops Management Professional)Geotechnical DrillerNatural Gas Shothole DrillerOil Operations Management Professional (Oil Ops Management Professional)Oil Well Cable Tool DrillerOil Well Cable Tool OperatorProspecting DrillerRotary Rig Engine OperatorShot Hole DrillerSonic DrillerSpud DrillerWell Driller

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.