Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for earth drillers, except oil and gass across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $62,830 ≈ $30/hr
National median salary $60,190
Total employment 19,450 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +2.9%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 1,700 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 18,300 → 18,800 (+500)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Jersey$82,890
- Illinois$81,990
- Washington$81,380
- Alaska$77,300
- Montana$72,910
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $82,890 | $77,950 | $40 | +31.9% | 400 |
| 2 | Illinois | $81,990 | $79,080 | $39 | +30.5% | 330 |
| 3 | Washington | $81,380 | $80,490 | $39 | +29.5% | 210 |
| 4 | Alaska | $77,300 | $80,040 | $37 | +23% | 290 |
| 5 | Montana | $72,910 | $71,470 | $35 | +16% | 180 |
| 6 | California | $69,450 | $66,910 | $33 | +10.5% | 1,630 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $69,410 | $68,320 | $33 | +10.5% | 280 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $69,120 | $66,410 | $33 | +10% | 80 |
| 9 | South Carolina | $68,660 | $61,500 | $33 | +9.3% | 120 |
| 10 | Colorado | $68,280 | $64,820 | $33 | +8.7% | 280 |
| 11 | New York | $67,900 | $60,860 | $33 | +8.1% | 670 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $67,750 | $64,180 | $33 | +7.8% | 130 |
| 13 | Vermont | $67,350 | $61,420 | $32 | +7.2% | 70 |
| 14 | Oregon | $67,020 | $64,920 | $32 | +6.7% | 510 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $66,840 | $62,570 | $32 | +6.4% | 110 |
| 16 | Ohio | $66,530 | $61,010 | $32 | +5.9% | 390 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $65,650 | $65,710 | $32 | +4.5% | 140 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $65,600 | $63,790 | $32 | +4.4% | 340 |
| 19 | Michigan | $65,160 | $62,570 | $31 | +3.7% | 850 |
| 20 | Indiana | $64,650 | $62,750 | $31 | +2.9% | 440 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $63,980 | $60,680 | $31 | +1.8% | 250 |
| 22 | Kansas | $63,170 | $65,600 | $30 | +0.5% | 80 |
| 23 | Arizona | $62,940 | $58,870 | $30 | +0.2% | 850 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $62,580 | $60,140 | $30 | -0.4% | 100 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $61,980 | $64,450 | $30 | -1.4% | 90 |
| 26 | Maryland | $61,960 | $61,260 | $30 | -1.4% | 120 |
| 27 | Utah | $60,730 | $60,490 | $29 | -3.3% | 310 |
| 28 | Nevada | $60,530 | $61,030 | $29 | -3.7% | 1,350 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $60,520 | $57,400 | $29 | -3.7% | 730 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $60,490 | $54,180 | $29 | -3.7% | 250 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $60,270 | $57,300 | $29 | -4.1% | 290 |
| 32 | Texas | $60,000 | $58,700 | $29 | -4.5% | 1,930 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $59,600 | $58,670 | $29 | -5.1% | 450 |
| 34 | Delaware | $58,970 | $57,160 | $28 | -6.1% | — |
| 35 | Virginia | $58,090 | $55,470 | $28 | -7.5% | 440 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $57,890 | $56,160 | $28 | -7.9% | 80 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $57,880 | $60,200 | $28 | -7.9% | 210 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $57,860 | $57,160 | $28 | -7.9% | 80 |
| 39 | Idaho | $57,690 | $54,830 | $28 | -8.2% | 450 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $57,680 | $55,690 | $28 | -8.2% | 190 |
| 41 | Iowa | $55,690 | $54,000 | $27 | -11.4% | 190 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $55,270 | $55,540 | $27 | -12% | 240 |
| 43 | Georgia | $54,630 | $50,030 | $26 | -13.1% | 870 |
| 44 | Florida | $54,060 | $55,320 | $26 | -14% | 1,630 |
| 45 | Missouri | $53,250 | $51,530 | $26 | -15.2% | 370 |
| 46 | Alabama | $51,640 | $46,440 | $25 | -17.8% | 170 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $50,910 | $46,160 | $24 | -19% | 110 |
| 48 | Maine | $49,030 | $45,560 | $24 | -22% | 70 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 112 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $94,600 | $85,950 | 60 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $89,300 | $89,050 | 90 |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $81,960 | $85,130 | 220 |
| 4 | Anchorage, AK | $80,030 | $75,480 | — |
| 5 | Billings, MT | $78,410 | $82,250 | 40 |
| 6 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $77,520 | $74,620 | 40 |
| 7 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $77,050 | $79,090 | 30 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,850 | $78,770 | 120 |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $74,300 | $70,420 | 140 |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $74,120 | $76,580 | 530 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing earth drillers, except oil and gass (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $96,340 | $94,740 | 30 |
| 2 | Metal Ore Mining | $85,350 | $77,430 | 400 |
| 3 | Utilities | $82,390 | $79,310 | 80 |
| 4 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $82,390 | $79,310 | 80 |
| 5 | Water, Sewage and Other Systems | $69,050 | $64,660 | 40 |
| 6 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,820 | $69,890 | 90 |
| 7 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,820 | $69,890 | 90 |
| 8 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $63,220 | $68,170 | 1,280 |
| 9 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | $62,400 | $63,030 | 110 |
| 10 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $62,400 | $68,050 | 150 |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $62,400 | $68,220 | 150 |
| 12 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $62,400 | $68,050 | 150 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do earth drillers, except oil and gas make in the U.S.?
The median earth drillers, except oil and gas salary in the United States is $60,190 per year (mean $62,830), and about 80% earn between $44,460 and $83,800.
How much do earth drillers, except oil and gas make per hour?
Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $62,830 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays earth drillers, except oil and gas the most?
New Jersey has the highest average pay for earth drillers, except oil and gas at $82,890 per year (median $77,950).
What is the job outlook for earth drillers, except oil and gas?
Employment is projected to change +2.9% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,700 openings per year.