The map below shows you the number of oil rig driller job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where oil rig drillers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market. Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.We spoke to oil rig driller professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the oil rig driller job market for recent graduates is heading and how young graduates entering the oil rig driller industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.

We spoke to oil rig driller professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the oil rig driller job market for recent graduates is heading and how young graduates entering the oil rig driller industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.

Year	# of jobs	% of population
2021	9	0.00%
2020	13	0.00%
2019	18	0.00%
2018	15	0.00%
2017	13	0.00%

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$51,460	$24.74	--2.1%
2024	$52,569	$25.27	+2.2%
2023	$51,441	$24.73	--0.3%
2022	$51,613	$24.81	--0.8%
2021	$52,044	$25.02	+0.2%

Rank	State	Population	# of jobs	Employment/ 1000ppl
1	North Dakota	755,393	12	2%
2	Montana	1,050,493	6	1%
3	Wyoming	579,315	4	1%
4	Vermont	623,657	4	1%
5	Texas	28,304,596	96	0%
6	California	39,536,653	62	0%
7	Pennsylvania	12,805,537	30	0%
8	North Carolina	10,273,419	26	0%
9	Arizona	7,016,270	24	0%
10	Colorado	5,607,154	19	0%
11	Virginia	8,470,020	12	0%
12	Nevada	2,998,039	10	0%
13	New Jersey	9,005,644	9	0%
14	Oregon	4,142,776	8	0%
15	Washington	7,405,743	8	0%
16	Massachusetts	6,859,819	8	0%
17	Kentucky	4,454,189	7	0%
18	Delaware	961,939	3	0%
19	West Virginia	1,815,857	1	0%
20	Alaska	739,795	0	0%

Job outlook for oil rig drillers in the United States

Oil rig driller job and salary trends over time

Oil rig driller jobs over time

Oil rig driller job growth rate over time

Average oil rig driller salary over time

Oil rig driller salary by year

Oil rig driller jobs by state

Most common states for oil rig drillers

Oil rig driller jobs