Driller vs core driller

The differences between drillers and core drillers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a driller and a core driller. Additionally, a core driller has an average salary of $53,839, which is higher than the $49,896 average annual salary of a driller.

The top three skills for a driller include CDL, preventative maintenance and safety policies. The most important skills for a core driller are CDL, DOT, and safety standards.

Driller vs core driller overview

	Driller	Core Driller
Yearly salary	$49,896	$53,839
Hourly rate	$23.99	$25.88
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	1,593	1,076
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Driller vs core driller salary

Drillers and core drillers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Driller	Core Driller
Average salary	$49,896	$53,839
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $63,000	Between $36,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Nabors Industries	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between driller and core driller education

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

	Driller	Core Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Driller vs core driller demographics

Here are the differences between drillers' and core drillers' demographics:

	Driller	Core Driller
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between driller and core driller duties and responsibilities

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.

Core driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Change out augers and hollow stems and take samples and box them and label them and return them to the engineers.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.

Driller vs core driller skills

Common driller skills

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

Common core driller skills

CDL, 36%
DOT, 29%
Safety Standards, 9%
Support Equipment, 8%
Remote Locations, 7%
MSHA, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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