Will AI take my job? Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Very unlikely
Most of this job happens with people, places or equipment that AI software can’t reach. Expect AI to show up in the paperwork around the job, not to replace it.
What AI is least likely to do in this job
Skills and knowledge this work relies on that depend on people, judgment or hands-on work.
Where AI tools already help
Parts of the work where AI writing, research and analysis tools are already useful.
How to stay ahead
- Lean into what people do best in this work: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Mechanical. Put examples of these on your résumé.
- Take Aptly’s free assessments to see which careers fit your interests, personality and strengths, with the AI exposure of every match.
Nearby careers that are more AI-resilient
| Career | AI exposure | U.S. median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · Very unlikely | 3/100 | $67,890 |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $58,620 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $78,540 |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $57,430 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · Very unlikely | 0/100 | $46,960 |
| Construction Laborers · Very unlikely | 3/100 | $47,120 |
Careers that suit the same kind of person, need similar preparation and pay at least three-quarters as much. Whether one fits you is what Aptly’s free assessments show.
Aptly’s free assessments score 13,000+ careers for your interests, personality and strengths, and show the AI exposure of every match.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas earn a median of $60,190 a year in the U.S. Pay by state, requirements and openings.
How this is measured
The score is an estimate of AI exposure: the share of an occupation’s tasks that large language models, and software built on them, could do in half the time or less at the same quality. It comes from a study by researchers at OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania (Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock, 2023, “GPTs are GPTs”), which rated every task the U.S. Department of Labor lists for each occupation.
Exposure is not the same as job loss. Highly exposed jobs often change rather than disappear, and many people in them become more productive. Use it as a guide to where the work is heading, not a prediction about you.
Check another job
AI exposure: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs”. Skills: O*NET 30. Pay: BLS, May 2025. O*NET-SOC 47-5023.00.