Best institutions to study Well Drilling/Driller
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to set up, maintain, repair, and operate well drilling equipment; locate, drill, construct, and develop water, gas, and oil wells; and test and monitor wells to ensure adequate flow.
1 U.S. institutions graduated 7 Well Drilling/Driller students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 46.0504, a specialization of Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services (CIP 46.05), and leads most directly to the Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas occupation (BLS SOC 47-5023).
About Well Drilling/Driller programs
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to set up, maintain, repair, and operate well drilling equipment; locate, drill, construct, and develop water, gas, and oil wells; and test and monitor wells to ensure adequate flow. Includes applications to home, business, and industrial uses.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Well Drilling/Driller program prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills essential for operating and maintaining well drilling equipment. This program is ideal for those interested in careers related to water, gas, and oil well construction and development, catering to various applications in home, business, and industrial settings.
Students will gain core skills in critical thinking, mathematics, and mechanical knowledge, alongside practical training in operating drilling machinery, regulating drilling parameters, and selecting appropriate equipment. Coursework emphasizes safety, monitoring, and effective communication.
Credentials awarded
What Well Drilling/Driller graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Associate's degree7 graduates / yr · 1 institution100%
Graduates over time
Well Drilling/Driller completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 91 |
| 2013 | 58 |
| 2014 | 54 |
| 2015 | 25 |
| 2016 | 18 |
| 2017 | 26 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 7 |
Top 1 institutions for Well Drilling/Driller, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MSPublicAssociate's | 7 | 56% | — |
Offered in 1 states
Where Well Drilling/Driller graduates come from. Each state links to all Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 1 | 7 | Southwest Mississippi Community College7 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 47-5023, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Well Drilling/Driller program can pursue careers as Earth Drillers, with a projected job growth rate of 2.9% and approximately 1,700 annual openings. The median wage for this occupation is $59,600, typically requiring a high school diploma or equivalent.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 46.0504
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gasprimary SOC 47-5023 | $60,190 | +2.9% About as fast as average | ~1,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers SOC 47-1011 | $79,920 | +5.3% Faster than average | ~74,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas SOC 47-5012 | $67,890 | +0.2% Little or no change | ~1,200 | No formal educational credential |
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas SOC 47-5011 | $58,620 | +0.5% Little or no change | ~1,000 | No formal educational credential |
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters SOC 47-5032 | $61,390 | -0.9% Little or no change | ~500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Well Drilling/Driller programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- 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.
- Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
- Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.
- Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.
- Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.
Tools and technology used
Other Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services specializations
The 4 other 6-digit CIP codes under Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services (CIP 46.05).
- Plumbing Technology/CIP 46.0503
Plumber 3,426 graduates / yr150 institutions - Pipefitting/CIP 46.0502
Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter 698 graduates / yr21 institutions - Plumbing and Related Water Supply ServicesCIP 46.0599limited data63 graduates / yr2 institutions
Show 1 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Blasting/
Blaster46.0505
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
See all Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services programs →
Common questions
What credential do I earn from this program?+
You will earn an Associate's degree.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, mathematics, and mechanical operations.
What careers can I pursue after graduation?+
You can work as an Earth Driller or in related roles in construction trades.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with a median wage of $59,600.
What is the CIP code for Well Drilling/Driller?+
Well Drilling/Driller is CIP 46.0504 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services (CIP 46.05). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to set up, maintain, repair, and operate well drilling equipment; locate, drill, construct, and develop water, gas, and oil wells; and test and monitor wells to ensure adequate flow. Includes applications to home, business, and industrial uses.
How many institutions offer Well Drilling/Driller programs?+
1 U.S. institutions reported Well Drilling/Driller graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 1 states, awarding 7 credentials in the year. That is 0.2% of all Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates.
How much do Well Drilling/Driller graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas occupation, which Well Drilling/Driller most directly leads to, pays a median of $60,190 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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