Directional driller vs drilling rig operator

The differences between directional drillers and drilling rig operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a directional driller and a drilling rig operator. Additionally, a directional driller has an average salary of $54,153, which is higher than the $44,739 average annual salary of a drilling rig operator.

The top three skills for a directional driller include CDL, safety procedures and safety standards. The most important skills for a drilling rig operator are CDL, OSHA, and minor maintenance.

Directional driller vs drilling rig operator overview

	Directional Driller	Drilling Rig Operator
Yearly salary	$54,153	$44,739
Hourly rate	$26.04	$21.51
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	911	34,198
Job satisfaction	5	3.67
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a directional driller do?

A Directional Driller specializes in drilling wells at different angles for better sources. They operate a variety of tools and machinery, follow guidelines, and conduct measurements and assessments to ensure quality and efficiency. There are also instances when they must produce progress and evaluation reports, maintain documentation, and develop maintenance strategies for the equipment. Directional Drillers must maintain an active communication line with co-workers, all while adhering to the company's safety policies and workplace regulations.

What does a drilling rig operator do?

The drilling rig operator does their job by operating on large drilling rig machines to dig holes for water pipes, sewers, oil plants, and underground tunnels. They possess the endurance and flexibility to work in full gear and rowdy environments. They must create a good relationship with their co-workers to work quickly and enable faster delivery of projects. They must possess immense knowledge of the processes of rig machines. Bearing the knowledge, they also have to know the drilling specifications and maneuver the rigging machine well.

Directional driller vs drilling rig operator salary

Directional drillers and drilling rig operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Directional Driller	Drilling Rig Operator
Average salary	$54,153	$44,739
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $83,000	Between $33,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between directional driller and drilling rig operator education

There are a few differences between a directional driller and a drilling rig operator in terms of educational background:

	Directional Driller	Drilling Rig Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Directional driller vs drilling rig operator demographics

Here are the differences between directional drillers' and drilling rig operators' demographics:

	Directional Driller	Drilling Rig Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.5% Female, 2.5%	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between directional driller and drilling rig operator duties and responsibilities

Directional driller example 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.
Make and check the daily safety sheets given to all employees and conduct JSA meetings before every task.
Administer company, government, OSHA and IADC guidelines and regulation to ensure a safe and productive work environment.

Drilling rig operator example responsibilities.

Maintain fluid weights by careful mixing of chemicals using PPE and careful mathematical calculations in collaboration with engineers.
Manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients using GMP format and aseptic techniques.

Directional driller vs drilling rig operator skills

Common directional driller skills

CDL, 40%
Safety Procedures, 13%
Safety Standards, 7%
Directional Drill, 7%
Shovels, 5%
HSE, 3%

Common drilling rig operator skills

CDL, 23%
OSHA, 10%
Minor Maintenance, 8%
Augers, 7%
Equipment Maintenance, 7%
Geotechnical, 7%

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Directional Driller
Directional Driller vs Drilling Rig Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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