U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOperate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap sub-surface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. May use explosives. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,680 | 4.1 % | $21.08 | $43,840 | 1.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.39 | $15.98 | $19.61 | $24.90 | $30.47 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $27,840 | $33,240 | $40,790 | $51,790 | $63,380 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility System Construction | 5,940 | 1.41 | $19.41 | $40,370 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 4,320 | 1.14 | $22.01 | $45,790 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 2,030 | 0.37 | $23.24 | $48,330 |
| Metal Ore Mining | 1,400 | 3.28 | $23.17 | $48,190 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 1,190 | 0.09 | $19.59 | $40,750 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Ore Mining | 1,400 | 3.28 | $23.17 | $48,190 |
| Utility System Construction | 5,940 | 1.41 | $19.41 | $40,370 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 4,320 | 1.14 | $22.01 | $45,790 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | 910 | 0.99 | $18.35 | $38,160 |
| Coal Mining | 580 | 0.67 | $23.17 | $48,200 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors | 110 | 0.01 | $26.46 | $55,030 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 200 | 0.07 | $25.39 | $52,800 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 40 | (7) | $24.00 | $49,910 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 50 | 0.01 | $23.42 | $48,700 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 2,030 | 0.37 | $23.24 | $48,330 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,590 | 0.15 | 1.11 | $17.23 | $35,830 |
| California | 1,200 | 0.08 | 0.62 | $22.70 | $47,220 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,140 | 0.20 | 1.51 | $21.14 | $43,960 |
| Nevada | 1,110 | 0.98 | 7.24 | $24.55 | $51,050 |
| Oklahoma | 870 | 0.57 | 4.19 | $22.37 | $46,520 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 520 | 1.19 | 8.79 | $22.71 | $47,240 |
| Wyoming | 320 | 1.15 | 8.51 | $18.46 | $38,400 |
| Nevada | 1,110 | 0.98 | 7.24 | $24.55 | $51,050 |
| Idaho | 360 | 0.60 | 4.42 | $18.69 | $38,880 |
| Oklahoma | 870 | 0.57 | 4.19 | $22.37 | $46,520 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 480 | 0.06 | 0.41 | $27.19 | $56,560 |
| Louisiana | 220 | 0.12 | 0.87 | $25.74 | $53,550 |
| Wisconsin | 390 | 0.15 | 1.09 | $25.64 | $53,330 |
| Massachusetts | 130 | 0.04 | 0.29 | $25.24 | $52,510 |
| New Jersey | 290 | 0.08 | 0.55 | $24.71 | $51,390 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City, UT | 380 | 0.61 | 4.50 | $24.84 | $51,670 |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO | 360 | 0.29 | 2.15 | $20.10 | $41,800 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 230 | 0.39 | 2.84 | $20.90 | $43,460 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 220 | 0.12 | 0.89 | (8) | (8) |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 200 | 0.08 | 0.56 | $17.84 | $37,100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 180 | 0.08 | 0.58 | $19.39 | $40,330 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 180 | 0.09 | 0.64 | $16.98 | $35,310 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 160 | 0.18 | 1.34 | $16.93 | $35,220 |
| Columbus, OH | 120 | 0.13 | 0.99 | $17.70 | $36,820 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 110 | 0.05 | 0.37 | $21.53 | $44,790 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsport, PA | 50 | 1.02 | 7.53 | $26.67 | $55,470 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 110 | 0.91 | 6.71 | $23.29 | $48,450 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 380 | 0.61 | 4.50 | $24.84 | $51,670 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 40 | 0.59 | 4.35 | (8) | (8) |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 50 | 0.53 | 3.90 | $28.10 | $58,450 |
| Billings, MT | 40 | 0.44 | 3.26 | $21.77 | $45,280 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 230 | 0.39 | 2.84 | $20.90 | $43,460 |
| Salem, OR | 50 | 0.35 | 2.58 | $22.37 | $46,520 |
| Manchester, NH | 30 | 0.34 | 2.48 | $18.86 | $39,220 |
| Roanoke, VA | 50 | 0.32 | 2.39 | $19.48 | $40,520 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 50 | 0.15 | 1.07 | $31.75 | $66,040 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | (8) | (8) | (8) | $31.59 | $65,710 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | (8) | (8) | (8) | $31.48 | $65,470 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $29.93 | $62,250 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division | 90 | 0.07 | 0.54 | $29.22 | $60,780 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division | 80 | 0.02 | 0.17 | $29.22 | $60,770 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 50 | 0.53 | 3.90 | $28.10 | $58,450 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $27.50 | $57,190 |
| Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | (8) | (8) | (8) | $26.94 | $56,040 |
| Williamsport, PA | 50 | 1.02 | 7.53 | $26.67 | $55,470 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 960 | 17.00 | 125.30 | $24.30 | $50,550 |
| Southeastern Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 270 | 1.63 | 11.99 | (8) | (8) |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 1.82 | 13.40 | $19.39 | $40,340 |
| Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 1.96 | 14.44 | $24.13 | $50,200 |
| North Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 5.20 | 38.31 | $17.09 | $35,540 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area | 960 | 17.00 | 125.30 | $24.30 | $50,550 |
| North Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 5.20 | 38.31 | $17.09 | $35,540 |
| Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 2.76 | 20.31 | $19.30 | $40,140 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 2.61 | 19.20 | $21.62 | $44,970 |
| Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 2.50 | 18.41 | $25.05 | $52,110 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.48 | 10.92 | $26.96 | $56,070 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.20 | 1.45 | $25.32 | $52,660 |
| Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 2.50 | 18.41 | $25.05 | $52,110 |
| Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.59 | 4.36 | $24.98 | $51,960 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.23 | 1.71 | $24.74 | $51,460 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
