Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas vs Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining: what changes?

Consider Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas if you want to operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of…. Consider Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining if you would rather operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (less than 5 years) and Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas and Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.