Driller (Oil, Gas & Water Wells)
⛏️Drills wells for oil, gas and water: operates the rig, changes tools and watches the pressure. Rotations, harsh weather and heavy steel.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $87.1k a year on average
Derrick, rotary drill, & service unit operators, & roustabouts, oil, gas, & mining — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £38.4k median a year
Mining and quarry workers and related operatives — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
Rig automation is growing (robotic pipe handling, auto-drilling), but maintaining the rig and working in harsh conditions are still done by people.
Who it suits
Interests: 🔧 Making things by hand, 🏕️ Outdoor work, expeditions, ⚙️ Tech and engineering.
Key strengths: strength and stamina, manual dexterity, organisation.
Where to study
- Apprenticeship On-the-job progression: roustabout → roughneck → derrickman → driller
- Course Offshore safety (OPITO BOSIET) and well-control certification (IWCF / IADC WellSharp)
- Vocational Brunnenbauer/in (Ausbildung, DE) for water-well drilling
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Maths, Physics.
🧗 No degree needed: start as a roustabout and work up to driller over several years. Safety training (OPITO for offshore) and well-control certification (IWCF) are required. Work: North Sea, US.
Things to know
🏔️ Long stints far from home🛢️ Dirt, noise, smells⚠️ Real danger to life🌙 Night shifts and on-call🩺 Strict medical checks
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