How To Become A Nickel Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a nickel operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a nickel operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.1 an hour? That's $29,332 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -45,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreNickel OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,332

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 6.69%

Black or African American 10.61%

Hispanic or Latino 18.37%

Unknown 3.92%

White 59.71%

Gender

female 8.33%

male 91.67%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a nickel operator

Explore nickel operator education requirements

Most common nickel operator degrees

High School Diploma

57.1 %

Bachelor's

28.6 %

Associate

14.3 %

Complete relevant nickel operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nickel operators 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 nickel operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nickel operator resumes.

Research nickel operator duties and responsibilities

Conduct rig movements during drilling operations.
Conduct rig movements during drilling operations.

Prepare your nickel operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nickel operator 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 nickel operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable nickel operator resume templates

Build a professional nickel operator 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 nickel operator resume.