Occupation overview

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for earth drillers, except oil and gas is $60,190, or $28.94 per hour. About 19,450 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $80,490 in Washington to $45,560 in Maine.

Median annual
$60,190
Median hourly
$28.94
Entry level (P10)
$44,460
Top 10% (P90)
$83,800
Employment
19,450
States covered
48

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$44,460
$49,900
$60,190
$72,450
$44,460$60,190$83,800
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $60,190.

Salary by state

All 48 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Washington$80,490$38.702100.47
2Alaska$80,040$38.482907.15
3Illinois$79,080$38.023300.44
4New Jersey$77,950$37.484000.74
5Montana$71,470$34.361802.88
6Wisconsin$68,320$32.842800.77
7California$66,910$32.171,6300.71
8New Hampshire$66,410$31.93800.88
9Connecticut$65,710$31.591400.65
10Kansas$65,600$31.54800.46
11Oregon$64,920$31.215102.08
12Colorado$64,820$31.162800.79
13Wyoming$64,450$30.98902.61
14Massachusetts$64,180$30.861300.29
15Minnesota$63,790$30.673400.93
16Indiana$62,750$30.174401.11
17North Dakota$62,570$30.081102.09
18Michigan$62,570$30.088501.55
19South Carolina$61,500$29.571200.43
20Vermont$61,420$29.53701.81
21Maryland$61,260$29.451200.34
22Nevada$61,030$29.341,3506.95
23Ohio$61,010$29.333900.56
24New York$60,860$29.266700.56
25Mississippi$60,680$29.172501.72
26Utah$60,490$29.083101.44
27Nebraska$60,200$28.942101.60
28New Mexico$60,140$28.911000.96
29Arizona$58,870$28.308502.09
30Texas$58,700$28.221,9301.10
31Tennessee$58,670$28.214501.10
32Pennsylvania$57,400$27.607300.97
33North Carolina$57,300$27.552900.47
34South Dakota$57,160$27.48801.34
35Delaware$57,160$27.48——
36Kentucky$56,160$27.00800.34
37Louisiana$55,690$26.771900.77
38West Virginia$55,540$26.702402.68
39Virginia$55,470$26.674400.86
40Florida$55,320$26.601,6301.32
41Idaho$54,830$26.364504.24
42Oklahoma$54,180$26.052501.17
43Iowa$54,000$25.961900.96
44Missouri$51,530$24.773701.00
45Georgia$50,030$24.068701.42
46Alabama$46,440$22.331700.63
47Arkansas$46,160$22.191100.69
48Maine$45,560$21.91700.84

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do earth drillers, except oil and gas make?

The median annual wage for earth drillers, except oil and gas in the United States is $60,190, or $28.94 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $44,460, and the top 10% earn $83,800.

How many earth drillers, except oil and gas are employed in the U.S.?

About 19,450 people work as earth drillers, except oil and gas nationwide.

Which state pays earth drillers, except oil and gas the most?

Washington pays the most at a median of $80,490, followed by Alaska ($80,040) and Illinois ($79,080).

Which state pays earth drillers, except oil and gas the least?

Maine has the lowest median at $45,560.

Where are earth drillers, except oil and gas jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Alaska at 7.15×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes