Post job

Rig operator vs relief operator

The differences between rig operators and relief operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a relief operator has an average salary of $42,693, which is higher than the $38,713 average annual salary of a rig operator.

The top three skills for a rig operator include CDL, productivity standards and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a relief operator are food safety, CIP, and PPE.

Rig operator vs relief operator overview

Rig OperatorRelief Operator
Yearly salary$38,713$42,693
Hourly rate$18.61$20.53
Growth rate-7%
Number of jobs30,72264,469
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 57%High School Diploma, 46%
Average age4044
Years of experience2-

What does a rig operator do?

A drill rig operator drills holes on the ground for different purposes. There are different types of rig operators depending on what they drill. There are rotary drill operators who drill oil and gas, and there is the rig operator who drills sewer holes and boreholes, among others. Their duties and responsibilities include receiving instructions on the drilling parameters and other procedures, checking and setting up equipment required for drilling, and offering assistance to other crew members.

What does a relief operator do?

A relief operator job depends on the institution or organization. Their main jobs include examining, measuring, and weighing materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. Their additional responsibilities include maintaining regular contact and communication with customers to resolve concerns, issues, and complaints.

Rig operator vs relief operator salary

Rig operators and relief operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Rig OperatorRelief Operator
Average salary$38,713$42,693
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $52,000Between $36,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City-Hutchinson, KS
Highest paying state-Kansas
Best paying company-Nestlé
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between rig operator and relief operator education

There are a few differences between a rig operator and a relief operator in terms of educational background:

Rig OperatorRelief Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 57%High School Diploma, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Rig operator vs relief operator demographics

Here are the differences between rig operators' and relief operators' demographics:

Rig OperatorRelief Operator
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 97.5% Female, 2.5%Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 1.2% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%5%

Differences between rig operator and relief operator duties and responsibilities

Rig operator example responsibilities.

  • Perform maintenance and repair of equipment including welding and fabrication of augers and drill bits.
  • Train in H2S regulation and prevention.
  • Regulate boiler blow down, backwash and clean condensers.
  • Log and sample soil, rock and water for environmental and geotechnical analysis.
  • Control power hoisting equipment to pull casing, tubing, and rods from production wells.
  • Operate a 3 man pulling unit, operate a reverse unit, run packers, and daily reports
  • Show more

Relief operator example responsibilities.

  • Run and maintain production machinery while following all company GMP's and safety policies.
  • Utilize chemicals for clean-ups, always following MSDS instructions and wearing proper PPE at all times.
  • Perform work in specialize chemical/acid resistant PPE with SCBA, chemical resistant heat suits, inline air and escape packs.
  • Maintain technical data/records for mechanical/electrical repair and adjustments to assure product conformance with SPC specifications.
  • Perform routine verification of equipment when unloading autoclaves and setting up aseptic filling machines.

Rig operator vs relief operator skills

Common rig operator skills
  • CDL, 22%
  • Productivity Standards, 16%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 11%
  • Efficient Maintenance, 8%
  • Well Control, 6%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
Common relief operator skills
  • Food Safety, 18%
  • CIP, 11%
  • PPE, 7%
  • Quality Checks, 7%
  • Basic Math, 6%
  • CDL, 6%

Browse construction and extraction jobs