Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 47-5023

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

O*NET task statements lead this Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Terrazzo Workers and Finishers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Pile Driver Operators, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K) , Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($63K) , Pile Driver Operators ($73K) , Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-5023 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Fabricate well casings
  2. 2. Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills
  3. 3. Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes
  4. 4. Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings
  5. 5. Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled
  6. 6. Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed
  7. 7. Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks
  8. 8. Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns
  9. 9. Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes
  10. 10. Place and install screens, casings, pumps, and other well fixtures to develop wells
  11. 11. Verify depths and alignments of boring positions
  12. 12. Perform routine maintenance and upgrade work on machines and equipment, such as replacing parts, building up drill bits, and lubricating…

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-5023 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.0
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.9
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.3
  4. 4. Equipment Maintenance 3.3
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.0
  7. 7. Speaking 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.5
  2. 2. Administration and Management 3.3
  3. 3. Transportation 3.3
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 3.3
  5. 5. Design 3.1
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.0
National median after O*NET task lead
$60,190
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Fabricate well casings
$60K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
1,700
Annual openings
19,450
Estimated US jobs
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
Highest-pay peer · $76K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Related experience Less than 5 years

Top Paying States for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

1. New Jersey $77,950
2. Kansas $65,600
3. Washington $80,490
4. Connecticut $65,710
5. Alaska $80,040
6. Wisconsin $68,320
7. New Hampshire $66,410
8. Illinois $79,080
9. California $66,910
10. Montana $71,470

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Pile Driver Operators $73,300
  2. 2. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  3. 3. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  4. 4. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780
  5. 5. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  6. 6. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (SOC 47-5023). The national OEWS median is $60,190 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Terrazzo Workers and Finishers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Pile Driver Operators, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining. Lead published task: Fabricate well casings.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New Jersey at $77,950. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Terrazzo Workers and Finishers at $76,170. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas pay-rank #21 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas sits at pay-rank #21 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-5023 · national median $60,190 · middle third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#21/60). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-5023

New Jersey · top state for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

$78K published median

Kansas · #2 state pay

$66K · behind New Jersey

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers

Highest-pay peer vs Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · $76K

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · $63K

Compare Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #21 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators ($60K), Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers ($59K), Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers ($59K), Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas ($59K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do earth drillers, except oil and gas do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. Leading ones include: Fabricate well casings; Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills; Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes; Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for earth drillers, except oil and gas? ▼
For SOC 47-5023, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.0), Operation and Control (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.3), Equipment Maintenance (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Administration and Management, Transportation. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $60,190 as the national median for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. The published 10th-90th range is $44,460 to $83,800. Beside Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76,170), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 1,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. Related-work-experience category: less than 5 years. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas? ▼
New Jersey ($77,950), Kansas ($65,600), Washington ($80,490) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-5023. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics