Rock Splitters, Quarry vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas: $49K vs $68K Median Pay

Rock Splitters, Quarry vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas: what changes?

Consider Rock Splitters, Quarry if you want to separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws. Consider Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas if you would rather set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Rock Splitters, Quarry and Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas. 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.

Compare the practical differences

Rock Splitters, Quarry

National median pay (2025): $48,740
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 400

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (3,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Rock Splitters, Quarry brief

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

National median pay (2025): $67,890
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,100

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas brief

How the national numbers differ

Rock Splitters, Quarry has the edge on projected growth

Rock Splitters, Quarry is at 5.8% projected growth, compared with 0.8% projected growth for Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas.

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas has the edge on median pay

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas is at $67,890, compared with $48,740 for Rock Splitters, Quarry.

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas has the edge on annual openings

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas is at 1,100 annual openings, compared with 400 annual openings for Rock Splitters, Quarry.

42.3/ 100

Rock Splitters, Quarry

44.1/ 100

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Rock Splitters, Quarry vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

Dimension	Rock Splitters, Quarry	Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Median pay (2025)	$48,740	$67,890
Pay percentile	29.3 percentile	59.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	5.8%	0.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	400	1,100
2025 employment	3,500	12,700
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Rock Splitters, Quarry brief Read Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas brief

Rock Splitters, Quarry vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Rock Splitters, Quarry

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

How the national numbers differ

Rock Splitters, Quarry has the edge on projected growth

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas has the edge on median pay

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas has the edge on annual openings

Rock Splitters, Quarry vs Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas

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