Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
U.S. Workers
13,090
Median Salary
$65,010
10-Year Growth
+0.2%
Annual Openings
1,200
Typical entry: No formal educational credential
21 of 22 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.
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.
AI: Fully automatable - Real-time sensor feedback and control algorithms (and existing remote/electronic rig controls) can monitor pressure and automatically adjust throttles and speed when integrated with actuators.
Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
AI: Fully automatable - Depth and rod-counting can be fully automated using sensors, telemetry, RFID/encoder systems, or simple length/digital counters tied to the drill string.
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.
AI: Fully automatable - Hoisting and draw works are routinely automated or remotely controlled via PLCs and control systems that can regulate brakes and winches based on weight/position sensors.
Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
AI: Fully automatable - Pipe makeup and breakout are already performed by automated iron roughnecks and powered tongs controlled by software, enabling full automation of connecting drill pipe.
Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated logging and data-capture systems can record footage drilled, locations, materials, timings, and sensor-derived strata data to maintain required records.
Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
AI: Fully automatable - Pump start/stop, flow control, and automated mud-mixing/monitoring systems exist and can manage circulation and fluid properties given adequate sensors and controls.
Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.
AI: Fully automatable - Batch weighing and automated mixing systems can measure clay, water, and chemicals and produce drilling mud formulations without manual intervention.
Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
AI: Partial - AI can design and deliver training and monitor compliance but cannot fully replace human trainers for hands-on instruction and situational safety leadership.
Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
AI: Partial - Diagnostics, monitoring, and some automated adjustments are feasible, but physical maintenance and complex repairs still require human technicians.
Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze well data and guide tooling selection, but fishing operations are unpredictable and rely on skilled human judgement and manual interventions.
Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with planning and coordination, but directing crews, on-the-fly safety decisions, and leadership in complex field situations remain primarily human duties.
Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor drilling sensor data and recommend bit selection, but cannot physically change drill bits using hand tools without specialized robotics and human supervision.
Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - AI can diagnose faults and guide or coordinate technicians and robotic tooling, but repair/replace with hand tools remains a mainly manual task as of 2025.
Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.
AI: Partial - AI can model well behavior and remotely actuate some valves, but tasks like installing packers and cap operations remain largely manual and safety-critical, requiring human oversight.
Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule and prompt routine lubrication and predict maintenance needs, but the actual cleaning and oiling of pulleys, blocks, and cables is typically a manual activity.
Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.
AI: Partial - AI can plan casing programs and optimize pipe runs, but lining holes and installing all hardware is a heavy, context-dependent operation not fully automated industry-wide by 2025.
Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.
AI: Partial - AI can provide assembly instructions and control some robotic systems, yet bolting together pump/engine parts and connecting tanks/flow lines are largely manual and situational tasks today.
Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with site selection, route planning, and remotely control positioning systems, but physically rigging and preparing truck-mounted derricks still depends on crews and manual setup.
Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.
AI: Partial - AI can detect coring intervals, log data, and coordinate coring operations, but physically removing and handling core samples usually requires human or specialized rig equipment intervention.
Plug observation wells, and restore sites.
AI: Partial - AI can identify wells to plug and generate remediation plans, yet the hands-on plugging of observation wells and site restoration remains primarily manual work.
Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete, for foundations of steel or wooden derricks.
AI: Partial - Some mechanized concrete equipment and guided robots can assist with digging and pouring, but on-site variability, heavy lifting, and safety needs prevent full automation as of 2025.
Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
AI: Not automatable - AI cannot be relied on to autonomously lower and detonate charges due to extreme safety, regulatory constraints, and the absence of accepted autonomous explosive-handling systems as of 2025.