Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary in the U.S.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in the U.S. earn a median of $60,190 a year ($28.94 an hour), based on BLS data for 19,450 workers.
Pay ranges from $44,460 for the lowest-paid 10% to $83,800 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $62,830, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for earth drillers, except oil and gas in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $44,460 | $21.37 |
| 25th percentile | $49,900 | $23.99 |
| Median | $60,190 | $28.94 |
| 75th percentile | $72,450 | $34.83 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $83,800 | $40.29 |
| Average (mean) | $62,830 | $30.21 |
Half of earth drillers, except oil and gas earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $5,015.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,507.92 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,315 |
| Weekly | $1,157.50 |
| Hourly | $28.94 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80,490 | 210 |
| Alaska | $80,040 | 290 |
| Illinois | $79,080 | 330 |
| New Jersey | $77,950 | 400 |
| Montana | $71,470 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $68,320 | 280 |
| California | $66,910 | 1,630 |
| New Hampshire | $66,410 | 80 |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | 140 |
| Kansas | $65,600 | 80 |
| Oregon | $64,920 | 510 |
| Colorado | $64,820 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $64,450 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $64,180 | 130 |
| Minnesota | $63,790 | 340 |
| Indiana | $62,750 | 440 |
| Michigan | $62,570 | 850 |
| North Dakota | $62,570 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $61,500 | 120 |
| Vermont | $61,420 | 70 |
| Maryland | $61,260 | 120 |
| Nevada | $61,030 | 1,350 |
| Ohio | $61,010 | 390 |
| New York | $60,860 | 670 |
| Mississippi | $60,680 | 250 |
| Utah | $60,490 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $60,200 | 210 |
| New Mexico | $60,140 | 100 |
| Arizona | $58,870 | 850 |
| Texas | $58,700 | 1,930 |
| Tennessee | $58,670 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,400 | 730 |
| North Carolina | $57,300 | 290 |
| Delaware | $57,160 | n/a |
| South Dakota | $57,160 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $56,160 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $55,690 | 190 |
| West Virginia | $55,540 | 240 |
| Virginia | $55,470 | 440 |
| Florida | $55,320 | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $54,830 | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $54,180 | 250 |
| Iowa | $54,000 | 190 |
| Missouri | $51,530 | 370 |
| Georgia | $50,030 | 870 |
| Alabama | $46,440 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $46,160 | 110 |
| Maine | $45,560 | 70 |
Best-paying metro areas for earth drillers, except oil and gas
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $94,600 | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $89,300 | 90 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $81,960 | 220 |
| Anchorage, AK | $80,030 | n/a |
| Billings, MT | $78,410 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,850 | 120 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $74,300 | 140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $74,120 | 530 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $73,560 | 210 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $73,090 | 90 |
| Saginaw, MI | $72,800 | 30 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $71,790 | 150 |
| Flint, MI | $71,650 | 30 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $71,280 | 40 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $67,530 | n/a |
Metro areas with the most earth drillers, except oil and gas
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 650 | $58,750 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 530 | $74,120 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 440 | $57,970 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 420 | $60,670 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 390 | $51,630 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 350 | $51,360 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 240 | $64,360 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 240 | $62,790 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 230 | $55,610 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 220 | $81,960 |
| Boise City, ID | 210 | $53,870 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 210 | $73,560 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 180 | $56,150 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 170 | $61,550 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 170 | $63,300 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $46,960 | $22.58 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,160 | $27.96 |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | $57,430 | $27.61 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operator | $61,810 | $29.72 |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $67,890 | $32.64 |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,620 | $28.18 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | $47,730 | $22.95 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | $35.82 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | $57,010 | $27.41 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $61,390 | $29.51 |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | $48,740 | $23.44 |
| Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other | $70,130 | $33.72 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | $78,540 | $37.76 |
| Construction Laborer | $47,120 | $22.66 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 47-5023. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a earth drillers, except oil and gas make in the U.S.?
The median salary for earth drillers, except oil and gas in the U.S. is $60,190 a year, or $28.94 an hour. Pay ranges from $44,460 for the lowest-paid 10% to $83,800 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid earth drillers, except oil and gas make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of earth drillers, except oil and gas in the U.S. earn at least $83,800 a year. The top 25% earn $72,450 or more.
What is the starting pay for earth drillers, except oil and gas in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $44,460 a year, and a quarter of earth drillers, except oil and gas earn $49,900 or less.
How many earth drillers, except oil and gas work in the U.S.?
About 19,450 earth drillers, except oil and gas are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.