Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud through drill hole.
U.S. Workers
11,040
Median Salary
$62,740
10-Year Growth
+0.5%
Annual Openings
1,000
Typical entry: No formal educational credential
15 of 15 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered.
AI: Fully automatable - AI-powered vision, drones, and maintenance software can inspect structural components and schedule/order inspections reliably prior to operations, enabling full automation of the inspection/ordering step.
Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid.
AI: Fully automatable - Controlling drilling-fluid viscosity and weight is a sensor-driven process-control problem that modern automated control systems and AI can manage via dosing pumps and closed-loop control.
Listen to mud pumps and check regularly for vibration and other problems to ensure that rig pumps and drilling mud systems are working properly.
AI: Fully automatable - Listening for pump anomalies and monitoring vibration is readily automated with sensors and AI anomaly-detection/condition-monitoring systems, enabling full automation of the monitoring task.
Start pumps that circulate mud through drill pipes and boreholes to cool drill bits and flush out drill cuttings.
AI: Fully automatable - Starting and controlling circulation pumps is routinely automated and remotely managed via PLC/SCADA systems, so AI/automation can fully perform this task.
Guide lengths of pipe into and out of elevators.
AI: Fully automatable - Guiding pipe into and out of elevators is already handled by automated pipe-handling systems (iron roughnecks and robotic handlers), allowing full automation.
Prepare mud reports, and instruct crews about the handling of any chemical additives.
AI: Fully automatable - Preparing mud reports from sensor/log data and generating chemical-handling instructions can be fully automated by data systems and AI-generated procedures.
Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud, using portable mixers.
AI: Fully automatable - Weighing additives and mixing drilling mud is commonly automated with dosing and mixing systems on rigs, enabling full automation.
Inspect derricks for flaws, and clean and oil derricks to maintain proper working conditions.
AI: Partial - While AI and drone/image analytics can detect flaws in derricks, the physical cleaning and oiling actions still require hands-on maintenance, so only partial automation is feasible.
Repair pumps, mud tanks, and related equipment.
AI: Partial - Repairing pumps, mud tanks, and related equipment involves complex manual disassembly and skilled hands-on work; AI can assist with diagnosis and instructions but cannot fully perform repairs.
Set and bolt crown blocks to posts at tops of derricks.
AI: Partial - Setting and bolting crown blocks requires heavy lifting, precise rigging, and work at height, which remains largely manual despite mechanized aids, so only partial automation is realistic in 2025.
Position and align derrick elements, using harnesses and platform climbing devices.
AI: Partial - Positioning and aligning derrick elements that require harnesses and platform climbing involve complex human dexterity and work-at-height judgment that robots/AI can only partially replicate by 2025.
Supervise crew members, and provide assistance in training them.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with monitoring, scheduling, and training content but cannot fully replace human supervisors for on-the-ground leadership, morale, and complex personnel decisions.
Clamp holding fixtures on ends of hoisting cables.
AI: Partial - Clamping holding fixtures on hoisting cables is a manual, dexterous rigging task where partial robotic tooling exists but full autonomous capability is limited as of 2025.
String cables through pulleys and blocks.
AI: Partial - Stringing cables through pulleys and blocks involves variable rigging configurations and confined-space maneuvers, so AI/robots can only partially automate this task currently.
Steady pipes during connection to or disconnection from drill or casing strings.
AI: Partial - Steadying pipes during connection/disconnection requires dynamic tactile control and situational judgment that remains only partially automatable by 2025.