Description
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.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
- Investigative
Work Values
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Stress Tolerance
- Initiative
Tasks
- 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.
- Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
Work Activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Getting Information
Detailed Work Activities
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Technology Skills
- Spreadsheet software
- Mobile location based services software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
Abilities
- Control Precision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Multilimb Coordination
- Reaction Time
- Manual Dexterity
Skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Equipment Maintenance
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- Design
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Master Ground Water ContractorCertifying Organization
National Ground Water Association
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Certified Well DrillerCertifying Organization
National Ground Water Association
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Vertical Closed Loop DrillerCertifying Organization
National Ground Water Association
Type
Advanced
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $52,979 |
| Median (50%) | $61,453 |
| High (90%) | $72,300 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $59,382 |
| Mid Level | $64,363 |
| Senior Level | $66,376 |
| Expert Level | N/A |
Employability
There are currently 18,900 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 19,700 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 4%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 4%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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