Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Salary: $68,341 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 17,410 earth drillers, except oil and gas nationally earn a mean of $68,341. Employment in the series shown rose about 25% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: what the data shows
Common questions about earth drillers, except oil and gas careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a earth drillers, except oil and gas?
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-5023.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 17,410 workers.
What does a earth drillers, except oil and gas do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a earth drillers, except oil and gas make?
BLS national median annual wage: $59,600 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $68,341 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,526 |
| 25th percentile | $57,780 |
| Median (50th) | $64,111 |
| 75th percentile | $81,003 |
| 90th percentile | $89,300 |
What education do you need?
For Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Administration and Management, Transportation, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is earth drillers, except oil and gas in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 25.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 57.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 17,410.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do earth drillers, except oil and gass work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 17,410 | 19.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 17,220 | 19.3% |
| Construction | 11,730 | 13.1% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 8,280 | 9.3% |
| Utility System Construction | 7,840 | 8.8% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 3,390 | 3.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 3,320 | $50,280 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 114,410 | $61,430 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 97,890 | $80,190 |
| Floral Designers | 40,160 | $36,120 |
| Craft Artists | 4,370 | $38,480 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas workforce.
Employment Over Time
17,410 Workforce in 2023
The Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$68,341 Average Wage
In 2023, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas earned an average of $68,341.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Salary distribution for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Employment Growth Projections
4.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,339 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 25.3%
6,693 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 57.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Wage Trends by Industry
-13.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 8.8% growth (Current: $75,249)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 690 employees, $67,388 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 250 employees, $66,211 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 200 employees, $68,341 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 130 employees, $70,184 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 60 employees, $59,272 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 50 employees, $71,934 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Diversity
Demographic information on Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in 2023 was 17,410 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas workers.
Education level distribution for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Skills
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring.
Required skills for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas include Mechanical, Administration and Management, Transportation, Public Safety and Security, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas include Control Precision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Reaction Time, Multilimb Coordination, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
Daily Activities
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.
About
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
The average yearly wage for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas was $68,341 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-5023 - Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas reports an average salary of $68,341.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 17,410 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.