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What is a directional driller and how to become one
The energy field is constantly growing and developing. This means the job opportunities are increasing and developing in more fields. When it comes to oil drilling, experienced horizontal or directional drilling experts are in high demand.
As a directional driller, you'll need to not only have proficiency in operating heavy and complicated machinery, but you'll also need to be a safety expert. You and your coworkers will be operating drilling machinery in an oil field and physical labor will be a requirement of the job. Effective communication will be a large part of keeping everyone around you safe while staying fast and efficient.
Most companies allow you to have at most a high school diploma/GED in order to start with them but will require you to take a directional drilling school program. You'll need experience as a driller or technician to apply for the directional driller position, where you'll be trained until you're ready. On average, a directional driller makes between $48,000 and $150,000 a year, depending on the company.
Avg. Salary $54,153
Avg. Salary $59,228
American Indian and Alaska Native 2.25%
Asian 1.22%
Black or African American 9.71%
Hispanic or Latino 19.25%
Unknown 4.20%
White 63.37%
Genderfemale 2.53%
male 97.47%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is very poor
6.4 - fair
Directional driller career paths
Key steps to become a directional driller
Explore directional driller education requirements
Start to develop specific directional driller skills
Skills Percentages CDL 39.78% Safety Procedures 12.70% Safety Standards 7.45% Directional Drill 6.97% Shovels 4.86% Complete relevant directional driller training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directional drillers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a directional driller based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real directional driller resumes.Research directional driller duties and responsibilities
- Perform data analysis and provide recommendations to achieve improve performance and accelerate commercialization of Pathmaker (RSS).
- Adhere to all safety policies.
- Train rig hands in safe operating procedures, maintenance, and repairs for rig and associate equipment.
- use of torches such as oxygen and acetylene, propane, map gas, and butane torches.
Prepare your directional driller resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your directional driller resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a directional driller resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable directional driller resume templates
Build a professional directional driller resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your directional driller resume.
Apply for directional driller jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a directional driller job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first directional driller job
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Average directional driller salary
The average directional driller salary in the United States is $54,153 per year or $26 per hour. Directional driller salaries range between $35,000 and $83,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do directional drillers rate their job?
Directional driller reviews
The feeling of accomplishment. The money.
You are literally selling large chunks of your life. Stress
You get benifits
You get paid low, no one there listens, and there is never a drill plan
The wages, as a general rule, are exceedingly high. The work is never the same day to day and are challenging every day. Further there is a great balance between managment and operational work.
It takes a lot of experience to get a handle on the job. One mistake can ruin your carreer and possibly leave you in a litigious situation. We are paid to have answers. Thinking costs $20 to $50 a minute. As such, a bad day can last 16 to 20 hours and be very stressful.
Updated January 8, 2025
