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Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas, trained hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 3,372 hours, for Horizontal Directional Drill Operator (hybrid).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| GEOTHERMAL AND WELLDRILLING OPERATOR | 2006 | Hybrid: 4,000 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| Horizontal Directional Drill Operator | 2083 | Hybrid: 3,372 to 3,936 hours Time-Based: 3,372 hours |
| Well Drill Operator (Const) | 0629 | Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What earth drillers, except oil and gas earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for earth drillers, except oil and gas ($80,490) and Maine the lowest ($45,560), across the 48 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80,490 | $38.70 | 210 |
| Alaska | $80,040 | $38.48 | 290 |
| Illinois | $79,080 | $38.02 | 330 |
| New Jersey | $77,950 | $37.48 | 400 |
| Montana | $71,470 | $34.36 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $68,320 | $32.84 | 280 |
| California | $66,910 | $32.17 | 1,630 |
| New Hampshire | $66,410 | $31.93 | 80 |
| Connecticut | $65,710 | $31.59 | 140 |
| Kansas | $65,600 | $31.54 | 80 |
| Oregon | $64,920 | $31.21 | 510 |
| Colorado | $64,820 | $31.16 | 280 |
| Wyoming | $64,450 | $30.98 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $64,180 | $30.86 | 130 |
| Minnesota | $63,790 | $30.67 | 340 |
| Indiana | $62,750 | $30.17 | 440 |
| Michigan | $62,570 | $30.08 | 850 |
| North Dakota | $62,570 | $30.08 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $61,500 | $29.57 | 120 |
| Vermont | $61,420 | $29.53 | 70 |
| Maryland | $61,260 | $29.45 | 120 |
| Nevada | $61,030 | $29.34 | 1,350 |
| Ohio | $61,010 | $29.33 | 390 |
| New York | $60,860 | $29.26 | 670 |
| Mississippi | $60,680 | $29.17 | 250 |
| Utah | $60,490 | $29.08 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $60,200 | $28.94 | 210 |
| New Mexico | $60,140 | $28.91 | 100 |
| Arizona | $58,870 | $28.30 | 850 |
| Texas | $58,700 | $28.22 | 1,930 |
| Tennessee | $58,670 | $28.21 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,400 | $27.60 | 730 |
| North Carolina | $57,300 | $27.55 | 290 |
| Delaware | $57,160 | $27.48 | Not published |
| South Dakota | $57,160 | $27.48 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $56,160 | $27.00 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $55,690 | $26.77 | 190 |
| West Virginia | $55,540 | $26.70 | 240 |
| Virginia | $55,470 | $26.67 | 440 |
| Florida | $55,320 | $26.60 | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $54,830 | $26.36 | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $54,180 | $26.05 | 250 |
| Iowa | $54,000 | $25.96 | 190 |
| Missouri | $51,530 | $24.77 | 370 |
| Georgia | $50,030 | $24.06 | 870 |
| Alabama | $46,440 | $22.33 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $46,160 | $22.19 | 110 |
| Maine | $45,560 | $21.91 | 70 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).