Blast hole driller vs driller

The differences between blast hole drillers and drillers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a blast hole driller, becoming a driller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a blast hole driller has an average salary of $51,719, which is higher than the $49,896 average annual salary of a driller.

The top three skills for a blast hole driller include MSHA, RAN and CPR. The most important skills for a driller are CDL, preventative maintenance, and safety policies.

Blast hole driller vs driller overview

	Blast Hole Driller	Driller
Yearly salary	$51,719	$49,896
Hourly rate	$24.86	$23.99
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	887	1,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 61%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	2	4

Blast hole driller vs driller salary

Blast hole drillers and drillers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Blast Hole Driller	Driller
Average salary	$51,719	$49,896
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $80,000	Between $39,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Nabors Industries
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between blast hole driller and driller education

There are a few differences between a blast hole driller and a driller in terms of educational background:

	Blast Hole Driller	Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Blast hole driller vs driller demographics

Here are the differences between blast hole drillers' and drillers' demographics:

	Blast Hole Driller	Driller
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9%	Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 0.8% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	3%	2%

Differences between blast hole driller and driller duties and responsibilities

Blast hole driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Drill, blast, run some equipment as needed
Operate hoists to lift power line poles into position.
Maintain and follow MSHA and company rules and policies while on duty.
Pump water from pit, set up light plants, and move trail cable for earth-moving shovels.
Plan layout, drill shots, MSHA federal inspections, keep and maintain powder magazines and need inventory paperwork.

Driller example responsibilities.

Manage and perform rig operations, repair large mud pump motors, hoppers, shakers, generators, valves and agitators.
Perform data analysis and provide recommendations to achieve improve performance and accelerate commercialization of Pathmaker (RSS).
Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and power wrenches and tongs.
Assist in the drilling of oil and gas wells as a floor hand operating pipe spinners, tongs, and slips.
School, forklift, and CPR train
Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.

Blast hole driller vs driller skills

Common blast hole driller skills

MSHA, 46%
RAN, 12%
CPR, 9%
Construction Sites, 8%
CDL, 7%
Drill Bits, 6%

Common driller skills

CDL, 26%
Preventative Maintenance, 18%
Safety Policies, 14%
Geotechnical, 10%
Well Control, 3%
CPR, 2%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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