Well drill operator vs welder operator

The differences between well drill operators and welder operators 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 welder operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a well drill operator has an average salary of $38,256, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a well drill operator include rig, environmental agencies and plungers. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Well drill operator vs welder operator overview

	Well Drill Operator	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$38,256	$31,669
Hourly rate	$18.39	$15.23
Growth rate	7%	2%
Number of jobs	30,260	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	2	4

Well drill operator vs welder operator salary

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

	Well Drill Operator	Welder Operator
Average salary	$38,256	$31,669
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $54,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Capco
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between well drill operator and welder operator education

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

	Well Drill Operator	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Well drill operator vs welder operator demographics

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

	Well Drill Operator	Welder Operator
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between well drill operator and welder operator 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.

Welder operator example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Weld carbon steel pipes using GTAW and SMAW.
Weld with (GMAW) on aluminum.
Maintain certifications in SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW.
Perform TIG and MIG welding processes on fabrications according to the blueprints specifications.
Weld heavy industrial clamps together using the MIG and TIG process on AR400 grade steel.

Well drill operator vs welder operator skills

Common well drill operator skills

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

Common welder operator skills

MIG, 12%
Arc Welding, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Tig Welding, 6%
GMAW, 5%