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Best states for a driller
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a driller at Nabors Drilling USA, LP, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for drillers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for drillers. We found that Minnesota is the best state in the nation for drillers, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for drillers.We found that Minnesota is the best state for driller jobs, whereas Maryland is the worst.
10 best states for drillers in 2025
1. Minnesota
Total driller jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $57,497 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Wisconsin
Total driller jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $53,529 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 2.01
3. West Virginia
Total driller jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $54,537 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
4. Washington
Total driller jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $60,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. Kentucky
Total driller jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $53,692 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
6. Nevada
Total driller jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $52,764 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 4.25
7. North Carolina
Total driller jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $53,866 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Colorado
Total driller jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $57,562 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. North Dakota
Total driller jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $52,139 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
10. Maine
Total driller jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $51,663 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 2.23
Driller jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a driller
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a driller
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $57,497 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 12 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $53,529 | $41,000 | 5,795,483 | 15 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $54,537 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 3 |
| 4 | Washington | $60,560 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 9 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $53,692 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 8 |
| 6 | Nevada | $52,764 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 12 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $53,866 | $41,000 | 10,273,419 | 16 |
| 8 | Colorado | $57,562 | $43,000 | 5,607,154 | 8 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $52,139 | $41,000 | 755,393 | 2 |
| 10 | Maine | $51,663 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 4 |
| 11 | Oregon | $56,865 | $44,000 | 4,142,776 | 4 |
| 12 | California | $61,824 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 28 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $51,860 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 24 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $58,143 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 15 | Utah | $50,418 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 6 |
| 16 | Arizona | $50,356 | $38,000 | 7,016,270 | 15 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,206 | $42,000 | 8,470,020 | 8 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $55,774 | $44,000 | 6,859,819 | 5 |
| 19 | Alabama | $48,682 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 6 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,635 | $39,000 | 28,304,596 | 18 |
| 21 | Kansas | $47,030 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 12 |
| 22 | Alaska | $54,283 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $54,600 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 5 |
| 24 | Iowa | $47,525 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 6 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $48,918 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $47,270 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 4 |
| 27 | Vermont | $46,158 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 4 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $44,211 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 15 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $49,013 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 4 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $45,761 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 3 |
| 31 | Delaware | $48,787 | $37,000 | 961,939 | 1 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $46,784 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 2 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $47,092 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 2 |
| 34 | Michigan | $45,256 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 9 |
| 35 | Indiana | $43,915 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 10 |
| 36 | Missouri | $46,078 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 6 |
| 37 | Illinois | $47,919 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 4 |
| 38 | New York | $44,630 | $34,000 | 19,849,399 | 16 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,867 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 42 |
| 40 | Ohio | $42,038 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 14 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $44,297 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 2 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $48,624 | $41,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $47,963 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 44 | Idaho | $36,882 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 2 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $36,811 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 3 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,419 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 1 |
| 47 | Georgia | $35,520 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 7 |
| 48 | Montana | $34,544 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 1 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $31,966 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 3 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $33,070 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 51 | Maryland | $33,051 | $25,000 | 6,052,177 | 3 |
Highest paying states for drillers
| Rank | State | Avg. Driller Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $57,497 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $53,529 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $54,537 |
| 4 | Washington | $60,560 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $53,692 |
| 6 | Nevada | $52,764 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $53,866 |
| 8 | Colorado | $57,562 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $52,139 |
| 10 | Maine | $51,663 |
| 11 | Oregon | $56,865 |
| 12 | California | $61,824 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $51,860 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $58,143 |
| 15 | Utah | $50,418 |
| 16 | Arizona | $50,356 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,206 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $55,774 |
| 19 | Alabama | $48,682 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,635 |
| 21 | Kansas | $47,030 |
| 22 | Alaska | $54,283 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $54,600 |
| 24 | Iowa | $47,525 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $48,918 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $47,270 |
| 27 | Vermont | $46,158 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $44,211 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $49,013 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $45,761 |
| 31 | Delaware | $48,787 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $46,784 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $47,092 |
| 34 | Michigan | $45,256 |
| 35 | Indiana | $43,915 |
| 36 | Missouri | $46,078 |
| 37 | Illinois | $47,919 |
| 38 | New York | $44,630 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,867 |
| 40 | Ohio | $42,038 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $44,297 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $48,624 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $47,963 |
| 44 | Idaho | $36,882 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $36,811 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,419 |
| 47 | Georgia | $35,520 |
| 48 | Montana | $34,544 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $31,966 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $33,070 |
| 51 | Maryland | $33,051 |
Driller best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025