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Driller salary
Average driller salary
$49,896
Average Driller Salary
The average salary for a driller is $49,896 annually, translating to approximately $24 per hour. Salaries can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, drillers with specialized skills or those working in high-demand regions may command higher wages.
Where Can a Driller Earn More?
Geographic location significantly impacts earnings. States such as Texas and California tend to offer the highest salaries for drillers, with average figures reaching upwards of $60,000 in certain areas. Additionally, drillers in oil and gas sectors generally earn more compared to those in construction.
Driller Salary Estimates
According to various salary surveys, entry-level drillers start at around $35,000 per year, while those with several years of experience can see their salaries increase significantly. Senior drillers or those in supervisory roles can earn upwards of $70,000, depending on their expertise and the complexity of their work.
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Where can a Driller earn more?
Driller salary estimates from across the web
Average driller salary by state
The highest-paying states for drillers are California, Washington, and Wyoming. The lowest average driller salary states are Oklahoma, Georgia, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for drillers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $57,497 | $27.64 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $53,529 | $25.74 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $54,537 | $26.22 |
| 4 | Washington | $60,560 | $29.12 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $53,692 | $25.81 |
| 6 | Nevada | $52,764 | $25.37 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $53,866 | $25.90 |
| 8 | Colorado | $57,562 | $27.67 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $52,139 | $25.07 |
| 10 | Maine | $51,663 | $24.84 |
| 11 | Oregon | $56,865 | $27.34 |
| 12 | California | $61,824 | $29.72 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $51,860 | $24.93 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $58,143 | $27.95 |
| 15 | Utah | $50,418 | $24.24 |
| 16 | Arizona | $50,356 | $24.21 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,206 | $26.54 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $55,774 | $26.81 |
| 19 | Alabama | $48,682 | $23.40 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,635 | $24.82 |
| 21 | Kansas | $47,030 | $22.61 |
| 22 | Alaska | $54,283 | $26.10 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $54,600 | $26.25 |
| 24 | Iowa | $47,525 | $22.85 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $48,918 | $23.52 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $47,270 | $22.73 |
| 27 | Vermont | $46,158 | $22.19 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $44,211 | $21.26 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $49,013 | $23.56 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $45,761 | $22.00 |
| 31 | Delaware | $48,787 | $23.46 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $46,784 | $22.49 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $47,092 | $22.64 |
| 34 | Michigan | $45,256 | $21.76 |
| 35 | Indiana | $43,915 | $21.11 |
| 36 | Missouri | $46,078 | $22.15 |
| 37 | Illinois | $47,919 | $23.04 |
| 38 | New York | $44,630 | $21.46 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,867 | $17.72 |
| 40 | Ohio | $42,038 | $20.21 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $44,297 | $21.30 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $48,624 | $23.38 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $47,963 | $23.06 |
| 44 | Idaho | $36,882 | $17.73 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $36,811 | $17.70 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,419 | $17.51 |
| 47 | Georgia | $35,520 | $17.08 |
| 48 | Montana | $34,544 | $16.61 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $31,966 | $15.37 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $33,070 | $15.90 |
| 51 | Maryland | $33,051 | $15.89 |
Highest paying cities for drillers
The highest-paying cities for drillers are San Francisco, CA, Puyallup, WA, and Duluth, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $63,880 | $30.71 |
| 2 | Puyallup, WA | $60,877 | $29.27 |
| 3 | Duluth, MN | $57,848 | $27.81 |
| 4 | Commerce City, CO | $57,523 | $27.66 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $56,723 | $27.27 |
| 6 | Parkersburg, WV | $54,574 | $26.24 |
| 7 | Jackson, NJ | $54,508 | $26.21 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $53,998 | $25.96 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $52,563 | $25.27 |
| 10 | The Woodlands, TX | $51,328 | $24.68 |
| 11 | Peoria, AZ | $50,503 | $24.28 |
| 12 | West Jordan, UT | $50,412 | $24.24 |
| 13 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,072 | $22.63 |
| 14 | Flint, MI | $45,385 | $21.82 |
| 15 | Rochester, NY | $44,672 | $21.48 |
| 16 | Memphis, TN | $44,376 | $21.33 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $43,790 | $21.05 |
| 18 | Ocala, FL | $37,334 | $17.95 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $35,560 | $17.10 |
| 20 | Baton Rouge, LA | $32,017 | $15.39 |
Driller salary details
A driller's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $63,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a driller's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $49,896 | $4,158 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying driller jobs
The highest paying types of drillers are directional driller, oil driller, and core driller.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drilling Rig Operator | $44,739 | $3,728 | $21.51 | 34,198 |
| Directional Driller | $54,153 | $4,513 | $26.04 | 911 |
| Drill Operator | $44,948 | $3,746 | $21.61 | 44,560 |
Which companies pay drillers the most?
Driller salaries at Nabors Industries and Ensign Energy are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average driller salary at companies like Independence Contract Drilling and Granite Construction are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nabors Industries | $64,634 | $31.07 |
| 2 | Ensign Energy | $62,387 | $29.99 |
| 3 | Independence Contract Drilling | $60,300 | $28.99 |
| 4 | Granite Construction | $55,405 | $26.64 |
| 5 | Fisher Industries | $54,777 | $26.34 |
| 6 | Ledcor | $54,365 | $26.14 |
| 7 | Freeport-McMoRan | $52,398 | $25.19 |
| 8 | Statoil | $52,217 | $25.10 |
| 9 | Coeur Mining | $51,719 | $24.86 |
| 10 | Intertek | $51,591 | $24.80 |
| 11 | Vulcan Materials | $51,115 | $24.57 |
| 12 | Patterson-UTI Energy | $50,989 | $24.51 |
| 13 | Maine Drilling & Blasting | $50,916 | $24.48 |
| 14 | Sealaska | $50,914 | $24.48 |
| 15 | Universal Engineering Sciences | $50,863 | $24.45 |
| 16 | Dyno Nobel | $50,832 | $24.44 |
| 17 | GPAC | $50,655 | $24.35 |
| 18 | Element Materials Technology | $50,315 | $24.19 |
| 19 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $50,282 | $24.17 |
| 20 | SGS | $50,270 | $24.17 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Driller salary trends
The average driller salary has risen by $2,327 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average driller earned $47,569 annually, but today, they earn $49,896 a year. That works out to a -1% change in pay for drillers over the last decade.
Compare driller salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average driller salary over time
Compare driller salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Driller salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,900 | $23.99 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | $51,000 | $24.51 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $49,900 | $23.98 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | $50,000 | $24.06 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | $50,500 | $24.26 | +0.2% |
Recently added driller salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Staffing Group | Driller | Reno, NV | 06/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| Vulcanmat | Driller | Vallejo, CA | 06/22/2025 | $73,212 |
| Vulcan Materials Company | Driller | Vallejo, CA | 06/20/2025 | $73,212 |
| Tetra Tech | Driller Trainee | Baton Rouge, LA | 06/19/2025 | $33,392 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Traveling Casing Driller | Ivy, VA | 06/14/2025 | $58,436 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Casing Driller | Pittsburgh, PA | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Traveling Casing Driller | Casper, WY | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Traveling Casing Driller | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Traveling Casing Driller | Las Vegas, NV | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Job Listingsgeostabilization International | Traveling Casing Driller | Atlanta, GA | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
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