Well drill operator vs oil rig driller

The differences between well drill operators and oil rig drillers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a well drill operator, becoming an oil rig driller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an oil rig driller has an average salary of $51,460, which is higher than the $38,256 average annual salary of a well drill operator.

The top three skills for a well drill operator include rig, environmental agencies and plungers. The most important skills for an oil rig driller are rig, , and .

Well drill operator vs oil rig driller overview

	Well Drill Operator	Oil Rig Driller
Yearly salary	$38,256	$51,460
Hourly rate	$18.39	$24.74
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	30,260	2,931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	2	4

Well drill operator vs oil rig driller salary

Well drill operators and oil rig drillers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Well Drill Operator	Oil Rig Driller
Average salary	$38,256	$51,460
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $54,000	Between $32,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between well drill operator and oil rig driller education

There are a few differences between a well drill operator and an oil rig driller in terms of educational background:

	Well Drill Operator	Oil Rig Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Well drill operator vs oil rig driller demographics

Here are the differences between well drill operators' and oil rig drillers' demographics:

	Well Drill Operator	Oil Rig Driller
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 0.8% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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	3%	2%

Differences between well drill operator and oil rig driller duties and responsibilities

Well drill operator example responsibilities.

Maintain fluid weights by careful mixing of chemicals using PPE and careful mathematical calculations in collaboration with engineers.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.

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.

Well drill operator vs oil rig driller skills

Common well drill operator skills

Rig, 33%
Environmental Agencies, 24%
Plungers, 11%
CDL, 10%
RAN, 7%
Water Flow, 6%

Common oil rig driller skills

Rig, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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