Well drill operator vs rotary driller

The differences between well drill operators and rotary 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 rotary driller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a rotary driller has an average salary of $52,810, 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 rotary driller are rig, , and .

Well drill operator vs rotary driller overview

	Well Drill Operator	Rotary Driller
Yearly salary	$38,256	$52,810
Hourly rate	$18.39	$25.39
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	30,260	1,061
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	2	4

Well drill operator vs rotary driller salary

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

	Well Drill Operator	Rotary Driller
Average salary	$38,256	$52,810
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $54,000	Between $34,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between well drill operator and rotary driller education

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

	Well Drill Operator	Rotary Driller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Well drill operator vs rotary driller demographics

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

	Well Drill Operator	Rotary Driller
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
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 rotary 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.

Rotary driller example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Inspect derricks and order their inspection prior to being raise and lower.
Operate portable drilling rig (machine and relate equipment) to drill wells.
Record daily drilling activities accurately in IADC reports while keeping accurate component tally.
Move levers to control power-driven winch that raises and extends telescoping derrick.
Install pvc pipes into holes and making sure that the holes remain clean and free from debris.

Well drill operator vs rotary driller skills

Common well drill operator skills

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

Common rotary driller skills

Rig, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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