Drill Operator Career Guide,
Salary, Licence & Jobs 2026

Drill operators are counted by BLS under Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (SOC 47-5023), where the OEWS May 2025 median is $60,190 a year, about $28.94 an hour, from $44,460 at the 10th percentile to $83,800 at the 90th. Operators who run large blasthole or exploration rigs, work remote sites and rotations, or lead drill crews earn toward the upper part of that range.

No degree is required, but you must complete MSHA new-miner training — Part 46 for surface or Part 48 for underground mines — to work at a mine or quarry. You typically start as a drill helper handling steel, rods and bits and assisting the operator, then earn employer qualifications to run blasthole, exploration or foundation rigs. Building hydraulics, maintenance and hole-logging skills on the job moves you into operator and, eventually, crew-lead roles.

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A drill operator runs the drilling rigs that bore blastholes and exploration or foundation holes at mines, quarries and construction sites. They position and level the rig on the pattern, control penetration and rotation, change bits and drill steel, add water or air, and log each hole's depth and conditions so the shot pattern or core sample comes out to plan. It is a hands-on, equipment-centered role in the extraction and construction trades.

Yes, to work at a mine or quarry. Federal law requires MSHA new-miner training — Part 46 for surface mines or Part 48 for underground — plus site-specific hazard training and annual refreshers. Operators also earn employer qualifications on each rig they run, and some states require a state miner card, while water-well and geotechnical drilling can require a separate state driller license.

Yes, modestly. BLS projects the Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas code to change about +2.9% over 2024–2034, with roughly 1,700 openings a year. Blasthole drilling for mining and quarrying, foundation and geotechnical drilling on construction, and mineral-exploration drilling all sustain demand, and most openings come from that steady activity plus turnover as operators advance into senior and crew-lead roles.

For hands-on work, yes: drill operator needs no degree, pays a $60,190 median with up to $83,800 for senior operators and crew leads, and is entered through MSHA training and on-the-job rig qualifications. The work is physically demanding, often on remote sites with rotating shifts and weather exposure, but the code is projected to grow modestly and offers a clear ladder from helper to operator to foreman.