DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
47-5021 Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Occupational Description:
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap sub-surface 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. May use explosives. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| EDR 6W- Upper Minnesota Valley | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Minnesota | 320 | 44 | $23.03/hr | $0.99/hr | $15.43/hr | $17.59/hr | $21.39/hr | $30.00/hr | $34.44/hr |
| U S | 17,680 | 725 | $21.28/hr | $0.26/hr | $13.52/hr | $16.13/hr | $19.80/hr | $25.14/hr | $30.76/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change - | |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics | 170 | $17.59/hr | N/A |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 80 | $24.74/hr | N/A |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Tasks for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Starts, stops, and controls drilling speed of machine and insertion of casing into hole.
- Drives truck or tractor to work site.
- Operates machine to flush earth cuttings, or blows dust from hole.
- Assembles and positions machine, augers, and casing pipes.
- Verifies depth and level of boring position.
- Signals crane operator to move equipment.
- Operates hoist to lift power line poles into position.
- Retracts auger to force discharge dirt from hole.
- Monitors drilling operation and strata being drilled to determine need to adjust drilling or insert casing into hole.
- Starts and controls drilling action and lowering of well casing into well bore.
- Couples additional lengths of drill rod as bit advances.
- Assembles non-truck-mounted drilling equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
- Inspects core samples to determine nature of strata, or takes samples to laboratory for analysis.
- Drives or guides truck-mounted equipment into position, levels and stabilizes rig, and extends telescoping derrick.
- Lubricates machine, splices worn or broken cables, replaces parts, and builds up and repairs drill bits.
- Fabricates well casings.
- Records drilling progress and geological data.
- Retrieves lost equipment from bore holes, using retrieval tools and equipment.
- Pours water into well or pumps water or slush into well to cool drill bit and remove drillings.
- Changes drill bits as needed.
- Monitors operation of drilling equipment to determine changes in strata or variations in drilling.
- Withdraws drill rod from hole and extracts core sample.