Driller vs hand driller

The differences between drillers and hand 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 hand driller. Additionally, a driller has an average salary of $49,896, which is higher than the $49,292 average annual salary of a hand driller.

The top three skills for a driller include CDL, preventative maintenance and safety policies. The most important skills for a hand driller are rig, safety procedures, and CDL.

Driller vs hand driller overview

	Driller	Hand Driller
Yearly salary	$49,896	$49,292
Hourly rate	$23.99	$23.70
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	1,593	5,609
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Driller vs hand driller salary

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

	Driller	Hand Driller
Average salary	$49,896	$49,292
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $63,000	Between $38,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Nabors Industries	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between driller and hand driller education

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

	Driller	Hand Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Driller vs hand driller demographics

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

	Driller	Hand Driller
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between driller and hand 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.

Hand driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Frequent use of torches and welders require.
Set up irrigation system, and fix sprinklers.
Well drilling, pumps, equipment operater, driving with cdl trucks
Train in CPR, have been fit test to work under full mask respirator.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.

Driller vs hand driller skills

Common driller skills

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

Common hand driller skills

Rig, 42%
Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Hand Drill, 4%
RAN, 3%
Water Truck, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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