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Singulariki

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas

Occupation · SOC 47-5011.00

Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud or fluid through drill hole.

Also called: Derrick Hand · Derrick Man · Derrick Operator · Floor Hand · Derrick Worker · Driller · Drilling Motorman · Fracturing Derrick Operator · Gas Derrick Operator · Oil Derrick Operator · Rotary Derrick Operator · Well Service Derrick Worker

Job family: Construction and Extraction Occupations

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Download .md

A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch /roles/role-47-5011-00/context.md directly.

AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

4th-percentile task overlap — yet about 1,000 openings a year (+0.5% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low 6th -1.4
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low 3rd 0.0
AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low 11th 0.1

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Historical automation estimate (2013)

A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.

Frey–Osborne probability 0.8 · 64th percentile among occupations · Moderate

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

Outlook About average · +0.5% by 2034
Projected annual openings 1,000
Employment 2024 → 2034 11,300 → 11,300

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

19% mean task exposure (2025)
30th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−3 pts shift 2023 → 2025
International occupation (ISCO-08) Task exposure (2025) Most tasks fall in
Well Drillers and Borers and Related Workers · 8113 19% Not exposed

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Transferable skills

Operations Monitoring 4.0
Operation and Control 3.9
Repairing 3.4
Complex Problem Solving 3.3
Troubleshooting 3.3
Quality Control Analysis 3.3

Abilities

Multilimb Coordination 4.0
Control Precision 3.9
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.8
Manual Dexterity 3.8
Reaction Time 3.8
Problem Sensitivity 3.6
Static Strength 3.6
Extent Flexibility 3.6
Trunk Strength 3.5
Stamina 3.5
Depth Perception 3.5
Hearing Sensitivity 3.5
Auditory Attention 3.5
Oral Expression 3.4
Deductive Reasoning 3.4
Flexibility of Closure 3.4
Selective Attention 3.4
Gross Body Equilibrium 3.4
Far Vision 3.4
Speech Clarity 3.4
Oral Comprehension 3.3
Inductive Reasoning 3.3
Perceptual Speed 3.3
Visualization 3.3
Finger Dexterity 3.3
Response Orientation 3.3
Gross Body Coordination 3.3
Near Vision 3.3

Knowledge

Mechanical 3.6
Mathematics 3.3

Essential skills

Critical Thinking 3.5
Speaking 3.4
Monitoring 3.4
Active Listening 3.3

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Tools & technology

Example Category
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software Hot technology
Microsoft Word Word processing software Hot technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 5.0
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions 5.0
Exposed to Contaminants 5.0
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 4.9
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment 4.8
Health and Safety of Other Workers 4.8
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 4.7
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures 4.7
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 4.6
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions 4.6
Exposed to High Places 4.6
Contact With Others 4.6
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.5
Physical Proximity 4.5
Spend Time Standing 4.5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 4.3
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 4.3
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions 4.2
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 4.2
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 4.2
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body 4.1
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 4.1
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection 4.0
Frequency of Decision Making 4.0
Freedom to Make Decisions 3.9
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 3.9
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 3.9
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions 3.8
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration 3.8
Spend Time Walking or Running 3.6
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 3.5
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles 3.5
Conflict Situations 3.4
Telephone Conversations 3.3
Time Pressure 3.2
Outdoors, Under Cover 3.1
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment 3.1
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 3.0
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling 2.9
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 2.9

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
Related 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.
Preparation level
SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Construction Trades . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Less than a High School Diploma 68.5%
High School Diploma 22.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate 4.9%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) 3.6%

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Realistic 7.0
Conventional 3.6
Investigative 2.5
Enterprising 1.6

Interest areas

Physical/Manual Labor 6.2
Mechanics/Electronics 5.2
Engineering 3.8
Transportation/Machine Operation 2.7
Management/Administration 1.7
Mathematics/Statistics 1.6

Work styles

Dependability 3.0
Cautiousness 2.5
Attention to Detail 2.1
Stress Tolerance 2.0
Perseverance 1.7
Integrity 1.6

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

$43k10th$49k25th$63kMedian$73k75th$85k90th
Annual wages by percentile — U.S. (BLS OEWS). The light band spans the 10th–90th percentile; the darker band is the middle half (25th–75th); the line is the median.
11k202411k2034 (proj.)+0.5% · About average
Projected U.S. employment, 2024–2034 (BLS Employment Projections). A labor-market forecast for the occupation, not an AI-impact forecast.
10th percentile $42,930
25th percentile $49,440
Median (50th) $62,740
75th percentile $72,820
90th percentile $84,620
People employed 11,040

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Industry Workers National median pay
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector 10,560 $62,400
Construction · Sector 140 $61,390
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector 90 $79,340
Engineering Services · National industry 70 $82,910
Manufacturing · Sector — $42,210

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Industry Concentration Workers
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector 257.17× 10,560
Construction · Sector 0.24× 140

Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas sits at the 4th percentile of AI task-overlap and the 51st percentile of median pay, placed here against 12 adjacent occupations on the same two axes. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas Helpers--Extraction Workers Pile Driver Operators Hoist and Winch Operators Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 30th percentile of 427 international occupations.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas show 4th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 1,000 annual U.S. openings

  • Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas rank in the 4th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
  • The occupation is projected to see about 1,000 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • BLS projects employment to be about average (+0.5%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • Median annual pay is $62,740, across about 11,040 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas show 4th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 1,000 annual U.S. openings

• Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas rank in the 4th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)
• The occupation is projected to see about 1,000 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• BLS projects employment to be about average (+0.5%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• Median annual pay is $62,740, across about 11,040 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))

Source: Singulariki — "Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5011-00
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

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.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Derrick 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/roles/role-47-5011-00

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-5011-00

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-47-5011-00,
  title  = {Derrick 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/roles/role-47-5011-00}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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