Tool pusher vs oil rig driller

The differences between tool pushers and oil rig drillers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a tool pusher, becoming an oil rig driller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a tool pusher has an average salary of $154,062, which is higher than the $51,460 average annual salary of an oil rig driller.

The top three skills for a tool pusher include CDL, DOT and well control. The most important skills for an oil rig driller are rig, , and .

Tool pusher vs oil rig driller overview

	Tool Pusher	Oil Rig Driller
Yearly salary	$154,062	$51,460
Hourly rate	$74.07	$24.74
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	8,799	2,931
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	-	4

Tool pusher vs oil rig driller salary

Tool pushers and oil rig drillers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tool Pusher	Oil Rig Driller
Average salary	$154,062	$51,460
Salary range	Between $95,000 And $249,000	Between $32,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between tool pusher and oil rig driller education

There are a few differences between a tool pusher and an oil rig driller in terms of educational background:

	Tool Pusher	Oil Rig Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Tool pusher vs oil rig driller demographics

Here are the differences between tool pushers' and oil rig drillers' demographics:

	Tool Pusher	Oil Rig Driller
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 1.4% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 1.2% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between tool pusher and oil rig driller duties and responsibilities

Tool pusher example responsibilities.

Manage drilling operations for geotechnical drilling operations
Drill H2S and high gain/loss formations.
Operate power tongs and CRT running tools.
Drill directional, straight hole and H2S wells.
Coronete rig moves, order equipment for job to be perform, including packers, tubular bop's exc.
Assure observance of all health, safety and regulatory systems with OSHA, in addition to the drilling contractor HSE program

Oil rig driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.

Tool pusher vs oil rig driller skills

Common tool pusher skills

CDL, 11%
DOT, 10%
Well Control, 7%
Safety Procedures, 7%
H2S, 7%
RAN, 7%

Common oil rig driller skills

Rig, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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