Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for earth drillers, except oil and gas in the U.S. is $60,190 ($28.94 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $60,190
- Mean annual wage
- $62,830
- Median hourly wage
- $28.94
- Employment
- 19,450
19,450 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,460 | $21.37 |
| 25th percentile | $49,900 | $23.99 |
| Median (50th) | $60,190 | $28.94 |
| 75th percentile | $72,450 | $34.83 |
| 90th percentile | $83,800 | $40.29 |
Highest-paying states for earth drillers, except oil and gas
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80,490 | 210 |
| Alaska | $80,040 | 290 |
| Illinois | $79,080 | 330 |
| New Jersey | $77,950 | 400 |
| Montana | $71,470 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $68,320 | 280 |
| California | $66,910 | 1,630 |
| New Hampshire | $66,410 | 80 |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | 140 |
| Kansas | $65,600 | 80 |
Lowest-paying states
- Maine: $45,560 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $46,160 median annual wage
- Alabama: $46,440 median annual wage
- Georgia: $50,030 median annual wage
- Missouri: $51,530 median annual wage
About this occupation
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
Typical tasks
- Drill or bore holes in rock for blasting, grouting, anchoring, or building foundations.
- Assemble and position machines, augers, casing pipes, and other equipment, using hand and power tools.
- Fabricate well casings.
- Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings.
- Signal crane operators to move equipment.
- Verify depths and alignments of boring positions.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 20.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 54.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 15.0% |
| Associate's degree | 7.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 2.7% |
| Master's degree | 0.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Construction Laborers$47,120
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920
- Electricians$63,190
- Carpenters$60,580
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.