Well drill operator vs relief driller

The differences between well drill operators and relief 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 a relief driller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a relief driller has an average salary of $53,739, 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 a relief driller are rig, flow lines, and .

Well drill operator vs relief driller overview

	Well Drill Operator	Relief Driller
Yearly salary	$38,256	$53,739
Hourly rate	$18.39	$25.84
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	30,260	1,764
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	2	4

Well drill operator vs relief driller salary

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

	Well Drill Operator	Relief Driller
Average salary	$38,256	$53,739
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $54,000	Between $37,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between well drill operator and relief driller education

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

	Well Drill Operator	Relief Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Well drill operator vs relief driller demographics

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

	Well Drill Operator	Relief Driller
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 99.1% Female, 0.9%
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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 1.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	3%	2%

Differences between well drill operator and relief 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.

Relief driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Job consist of running mud tanks, mixing chemicals, running derricks, and drilling.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.
Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
Install pvc pipes into holes and making sure that the holes remain clean and free from debris.

Well drill operator vs relief driller skills

Common well drill operator skills

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

Common relief driller skills

Rig, 85%
Flow Lines, 15%

Well Drill Operator vs. similar jobs

Well Drill Operator related careers

Well Drill Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs