Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
What Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 3.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
- Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.1/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.8/5
- Chemistryimportance 2.8/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.9/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.8/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic96% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic95% skill match
- Hoist and Winch Operators95% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners95% skill match
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons95% skill match
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals95% skill match
- Motorboat Operators95% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.6/5
- Instructingimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.0/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- CAPSHER Technology SureTec
- Drillingsoftware DrillPro
- Drillingsoftware Tubular Database
- Pason WellView Field Solution
- Schlumberger Petrel E&P
- Structure query language SQL
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Leadership Orientation
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where rotary drill operators, oil and gas make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Midland, TX49.47× national avg
- 2Odessa, TX35.06× national avg
- 3Lafayette, LA27.56× national avg
- 4Casper, WY26.28× national avg
- 5Oklahoma City, OK18.96× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Derrick Operators, Oil and GasLateral Move
- Hoist and Winch OperatorsCareer Change
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface MiningLateral Move
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment OperatorsLateral Move
See the full career path from Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.