JobAfterNext

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$67,890
Employment, U.S.12,600
Median hourly wage$32.64
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$47,010$53,810$67,890$81,360$101,860
By state (26)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama40$67,4000.23
Alaska130$85,4704.76
Arizona30$62,9200.13
Arkansas70$37,7000.62
California460$65,5200.31
Colorado110$79,8300.49
Florida180$61,9700.22
Kansas130$60,6001.09
Kentucky30$38,5200.20
Louisiana910$49,4105.81
Michigan70$54,0200.21
Mississippi130$67,2901.39
Nebraska40$79,1400.46
New Mexico580$82,7808.23
New York50$67,0000.06
North Carolina50$57,7600.12
North Dakota230$71,2806.69
Ohio290$63,6000.64
Oklahoma1,700$55,16012.32
Pennsylvania390$61,7800.80
Tennessee40$58,7800.14
Texas5,980$77,8405.25
Utah$70,400
Virginia110$61,4100.32
West Virginia240$57,0204.29
Wyoming200$61,0008.76

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers1-20.962
2Biomass Plant Technicians1-20.960
3Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers1-20.959
4Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas1-20.956
5Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic1-20.956
6Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas1-20.955
7Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas1-20.955
8Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders1-20.954
9Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers1-20.954
10Ship Engineers30.954

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and GaugersOperations Monitoring1.120.954
Chemical Plant and System OperatorsOperations Monitoring0.880.940

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas, excluding software Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Operational databases3 of 2011.5x
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS3 of 204.6x
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software3 of 202.2x
Microsoft Outlook14 of 201.0x
Email software6 of 201.0x
Microsoft PowerPoint5 of 200.4x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 3.62 3.62
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.62 3.50
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.62 3.25
MonitoringEssential skill 3.50 3.25
InstructingTransferable skill 3.38 3.38
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.38 2.88
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
SpeakingEssential skill 3.25 2.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.12 3.00
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
RepairingTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.00 3.12
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
WritingEssential skill 3.00 3.00
Time ManagementTransferable skill 2.88 3.38
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.88 3.25
Active LearningEssential skill 2.88 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.62 2.25
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.38 2.25
MathematicsEssential skill 2.38 1.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.12 1.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.75 1.00
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.62 1.12
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.25not rated
ScienceEssential skill 1.25not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.12not rated
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Mechanical 3.87 4.94
Mathematics 3.76 3.72
Administration and Management 3.33 2.87
Education and Training 3.20 3.74
Personnel and Human Resources 3.08 3.32
Public Safety and Security 2.84 2.63
Chemistry 2.75 3.24
Transportation 2.74 2.58
Production and Processing 2.74 2.51
Engineering and Technology 2.62 2.54
English Language 2.61 1.69
Psychology 2.53 2.69
Customer and Personal Service 2.40 2.54
Physics 2.38 2.06
Administrative 2.33 1.66
Building and Construction 2.17 1.77
Communications and Media 2.14 1.40
Law and Government 2.06 1.44
Geography 2.02 1.60
Medicine and Dentistry 2.00 1.64
Therapy and Counseling 1.76 1.46
Computers and Electronics 1.69 1.59
Economics and Accounting 1.64not rated
Sales and Marketing 1.62not rated
Telecommunications 1.61 1.11
Design 1.60 1.25
Foreign Language 1.36not rated
Biology 1.35not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.24not rated
History and Archeology 1.20not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.09not rated
Fine Arts 1.01not rated
Food Production 1.01not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Control Precision 4.00 3.75
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 3.50
Near Vision 3.88 3.38
Multilimb Coordination 3.75 3.50
Manual Dexterity 3.75 3.38
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.75 3.00
Information Ordering 3.63 3.75
Oral Comprehension 3.63 3.75
Oral Expression 3.63 3.63
Finger Dexterity 3.50 3.13
Selective Attention 3.38 4.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.38 3.38
Inductive Reasoning 3.38 3.25
Rate Control 3.38 3.25
Written Expression 3.25 3.13
Auditory Attention 3.13 3.50
Category Flexibility 3.13 3.13
Reaction Time 3.13 3.13
Perceptual Speed 3.13 3.00
Written Comprehension 3.13 3.00
Speech Recognition 3.13 2.88
Speech Clarity 3.13 2.63
Visualization 3.00 3.13
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 2.88
Static Strength 2.88 3.38
Time Sharing 2.88 3.00
Depth Perception 2.88 2.88
Visual Color Discrimination 2.88 2.75
Trunk Strength 2.75 3.13
Far Vision 2.75 3.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.75 2.75
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.75 2.50
Extent Flexibility 2.63 2.88
Response Orientation 2.63 2.88
Gross Body Coordination 2.63 2.63
Number Facility 2.63 2.25
Dynamic Strength 2.50not rated
Fluency of Ideas 2.50 2.75
Originality 2.50 2.63
Speed of Closure 2.50 2.38
Mathematical Reasoning 2.50 2.00
Stamina 2.38 2.13
Memorization 2.25 2.50
Spatial Orientation 2.25 2.00
Glare Sensitivity 2.13 2.13
Night Vision 2.13 2.13
Speed of Limb Movement 2.00 1.75
Peripheral Vision 1.88 1.50
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.88 1.38
Sound Localization 1.75 1.50
Explosive Strength 1.13not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Midland, TX49049.47$78,260
Odessa, TX23035.06$59,560
Lafayette, LA40027.56$49,190
Oklahoma City, OK1,04018.96$55,160
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,1007.88$79,450
Bakersfield-Delano, CA1906.89$75,660
Tulsa, OK2205.96$56,160
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX4701.43$81,360

More metros, other thresholds