Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
SOC Code: 47-5012
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas carries a 31% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $65,010 and +0.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 13,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 31% AI exposure, Rotary drill operators, oil and gas sits 6 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 33% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
52/100
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C+ $65,010
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +0.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B- 31% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Rotary drill operators, oil and gas in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Rotary drill operators, oil and gas sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Rotary drill operators, oil and gas sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
31% Lower than most lower than 67% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-5012) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Rotary drill operators, oil and gas be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Rotary drill operators, oil and gas. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
- 2. Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.
- 3. Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.
- 4. Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.
- 5. Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.
- 6. Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.
- 7. Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.
- 8. Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.
- 9. Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.
- 10. Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.
Key Skills Required
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Public Safety and Security
- Chemistry
- Production and Processing
- Transportation
- Engineering and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas has an AI exposure score of 31%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Rotary drill operators, oil and gas is projected to grow by 0.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 13,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Key skills for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas include Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Rotary drill operators, oil and gas earn?
The median annual wage for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas is $65,010, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
The typical entry-level education for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect Less than 5 years of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Rotary drill operators, oil and gas?
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Rotary drill operators, oil and gas: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (31% here).
- Animal trainers · AI exposure 31%
- Carpet installers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemical engineers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemists · AI exposure 31%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+0.2% here).
- Bus drivers, school · growth +0.2%
- Compensation and benefits managers · growth +0.2%
- Dishwashers · growth +0.2%
- Helpers--electricians · growth +0.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Rotary drill operators, oil and gas' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Rotary drill operators, oil and gas side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).