Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Helpers--Extraction Workers and Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Helpers--Extraction Workers | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $48,400 | $65,010 |
| Employment | 6,720 | 13,090 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-1.7%) | About average (+0.2%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 700 | 1,200 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 4th pct | Low · 13th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 4th pct · 11% of tasks | 30th pct · 19% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Mechanical, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Monitoring, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Reaction Time, Operations Monitoring, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Operation and Control, Finger Dexterity, Rate Control, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Selective Attention, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Deductive Reasoning, Perceptual Speed, Auditory Attention, Mathematics, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making.
Specific to Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Static Strength
- Far Vision
- English Language
- Equipment Maintenance
- Trunk Strength
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Depth Perception
Specific to Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Oral Expression
- Instructing
- Inductive Reasoning
- Administration and Management
- Speaking
- Written Expression
- Education and Training
- Written Comprehension
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Word processing software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software .
Specific to Helpers--Extraction Workers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Helpers--Extraction Workers or Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Helpers--Production Workers
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Helpers--Carpenters
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Continuous Mining Machine Operators
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
- Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/helpers-extraction-workers-vs-rotary-drill-operators-oil-and-gas
Singulariki. (2026). Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/helpers-extraction-workers-vs-rotary-drill-operators-oil-and-gas
@misc{singulariki-helpers-extraction-workers-vs-rotary-drill-operators-oil-and-gas,
title = {Helpers--Extraction Workers vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/helpers-extraction-workers-vs-rotary-drill-operators-oil-and-gas}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.