JOB REPORT / 47-5023 · 29 TASKS

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas.

Can AI do the work of Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas?

Mostly it works alongside you. Here is what shifts, task by task.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS

How does this fit your work?

How many tasks do you use AI to assist with at work?

Drag the dot. There’s no wrong answer; it starts at our estimate.

Starting pointOur estimate

The mark shows what’s typical for this job.

The parts of your job AI can already do most of:

Create and lay out designs for drill and blast…
Document geological formations encountered during work
Record drilling progress and geological data

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A free set of short lessons, about 20 minutes each, at your own pace. No payment, no experience needed.

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Earn a certificate in your job

A guided certificate program in AI-assisted Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas work. It covers the 13 AI-affected parts of your job and ends in a capstone a person reviews.

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

Your job, task by task.

13 of 29 tasks reviewed

This job has 29 core tasks. We went through 13 of them, one at a time.

Task by task, from the work Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas actually do. How we describe AI use in each task is our own read of it, not a measurement of whether AI can replace the job.

TASK 01
Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns.
AI DOES
Generates pattern layouts, calculates hole spacing and angles, and flags design conflicts using site parameters
YOU DO
Read real rock conditions on-site and adjust the plan to match what you actually see
TASK 02
Document geological formations encountered during work.
AI DOES
Drafts field reports, suggests formation names from sample descriptions, and auto-fills standard log templates
YOU DO
Trust your eyes and hands on the actual core samples and cuttings
TASK 03
Record drilling progress and geological data.
AI DOES
Auto-fills log templates, flags unusual readings, and suggests geological classifications from entered data
YOU DO
Observe actual drill feel, rock color, and site conditions that sensors can't fully capture
TASK 04
Review client requirements and proposed locations for drilling operations to determine feasibility, and to determine cost estimates.
AI DOES
Drafts cost estimate templates, summarizes soil reports, and flags potential site challenges from available data
YOU DO
Apply hands-on field knowledge and site-specific judgment to finalize feasibility calls
TASK 05
Design well pumping systems.
AI DOES
Generates pump sizing calculations, system diagrams, and equipment specifications from input data
YOU DO
Visit the site, read the ground conditions, and make final safety calls
TASK 06
Select the appropriate drill for the job, using knowledge of rock or soil conditions.
AI DOES
Looks up soil and rock data, compares drill types, and surfaces recommendations based on job specs
YOU DO
Trust your on-site feel for ground conditions and years of drilling experience to make the final call
TASK 07
Perform pumping tests to assess well performance.
AI DOES
Analyzes pressure and flow data to spot patterns and estimate well capacity
YOU DO
Run the equipment, read conditions on-site, and judge what the numbers mean in the field
TASK 08
Inspect core samples to determine nature of strata, or take samples to laboratories for analysis.
AI DOES
Helps identify rock types and patterns from photos or lab data reports
YOU DO
Handle and physically examine the actual core samples in person
TASK 09
Monitor drilling operations, by checking gauges and listening to equipment to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust drilling or alter equipment.
AI DOES
Analyzes sensor data streams and flags unusual readings when digital monitoring systems are connected
YOU DO
Trust your ears and hands to catch sounds and vibrations that sensors miss
TASK 10
Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
AI DOES
Suggests starting settings based on rock type data or soil reports
YOU DO
Stay at the controls and feel how the drill responds in real time
TASK 11
Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
AI DOES
Monitors sensor data and suggests drill alignment adjustments
YOU DO
Stay on-site to feel ground feedback and make split-second control decisions
TASK 12
Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
AI DOES
Monitors sensor data and flags unusual vibration or pressure readings
YOU DO
Stay on-site and make split-second physical adjustments to the machine
TASK 13
Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
AI DOES
Monitors sensor data and alerts operators to pressure or flow changes
YOU DO
Stay on-site to physically control the machine and react to ground conditions

START LEARNING AI

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.

There are 13 short lessons for this job, about 15 minutes each. Each one starts from a task above and teaches the part that stays with you.

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AT A GLANCE

Occupation: Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
SOC code: 47-5023
Tasks reviewed: 13 of 29

How we assess

PAY & OUTLOOK

Compare pay by state

Median pay (national): $60,190 · BLS OEWS 2025
Median pay (Colorado): $64,820 · BLS OEWS 2025
Employed (national): 19,450
Employed in Colorado: 280
Job outlook: +2.9% by 2034 · ~1,700 openings/yr

Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National figures cover the United States. Job outlook is national.

How does this fit your work?

Earn a certificate in your job

Your job, task by task.

Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns.

Document geological formations encountered during work.

Record drilling progress and geological data.

Review client requirements and proposed locations for drilling operations to determine feasibility, and to determine cost estimates.

Design well pumping systems.

Select the appropriate drill for the job, using knowledge of rock or soil conditions.

Perform pumping tests to assess well performance.

Inspect core samples to determine nature of strata, or take samples to laboratories for analysis.

Monitor drilling operations, by checking gauges and listening to equipment to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust drilling or alter equipment.

Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.

Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.

Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.

Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.

Practice AI.Use your judgment.

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.