What You'll Do

  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
  • Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
  • Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.
  • Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
  • Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
  • Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
  • Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
  • Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
  • Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.

Essential Skills

Critical Thinking 3.62/5
Operations Monitoring 3.62/5
Operation and Control 3.62/5
Monitoring 3.5/5
Active Listening 3.38/5
Instructing 3.38/5
Speaking 3.25/5
Coordination 3.25/5
Reading Comprehension 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.12/5
Writing 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Cautiousness, Attention to Detail, Stress Tolerance, Perseverance

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Control Precision 4.0/5
Near Vision 3.88/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.75/5
Manual Dexterity 3.75/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.75/5
Oral Comprehension 3.63/5
Oral Expression 3.63/5

Technologies & Tools

CAPSHER Technology SureTec Drillingsoftware DrillPro Drillingsoftware Tubular Database Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Word Pason WellView Field Solution Python Salesforce software SAP software Schlumberger Petrel E&P Structure query language SQL

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.71/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.46/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 4.31/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Blast Driller Cable Driller Cable Tool Driller Cable Tool Operator Clean Out Driller Core Drill Operator Core Driller Daylight Driller Derrickhand Directional Drill Operator Directional Driller Drill Hand Drill Operator Driller Drilling Field Operator Drilling Field Professional Drilling Machine Operator Drilling Rig Operator Fracturing Rotary Drill Operator Geotechnical Driller Motor Man Natural Gas Shothole Driller Oil and Gas Operations Management Professional Oil Driller Oil Rig Driller Oil Well Cable Tool Driller Oil Well Cable Tool Operator Oil Well Driller Prospecting Driller Relief Driller Rotary Driller Rotary Rig Engine Operator Shot Hole Driller Sonic Driller Spud Driller Tool Pusher Well Driller

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.