Derrick operators, oil and gas

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

AI Resistance Index 87 of 99

Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 87% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.6% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on physical dexterity and ethical judgement.

AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.

Median pay (2025): $58,620
Job growth to 2035: +1.6%
Openings a year: 900
People doing it (2025): 10,700
Usual route in: No formal credential, then short on-the-job training

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Where people already use AI for this work

Prepare mixtures or solutions
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment

From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).

Work AI rarely helps with

Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment
Maintain tools or equipment
Train others on operational or work procedures

What the work looks like

Start pumps that circulate mud through drill pipes and boreholes to cool drill bits and flush out drill cuttings.
Control the viscosity and weight of the drilling fluid.
Listen to mud pumps and check regularly for vibration and other problems to ensure that rig pumps and drilling mud systems are working properly.
Inspect derricks, or order their inspection, prior to being raised or lowered.
Prepare mud reports, and instruct crews about the handling of any chemical additives.

From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.

What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects

Fewer of these jobs, as advancements in automated well drilling boosts labor productivity and reduces the number of derrick operators required in oil and gas drilling.

Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook

Helpers--extraction workersHuman edge, steady, Index 92, +1.7%
RoofersHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +5.3%
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfittersHuman edge, growing, Index 91, +6.8%
Roustabouts, oil and gasHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +3.6%

Also known as: Derrick Hand, Derrick Man, Derrickhand, Derrickman, Derrick Operator, Derrick Worker, Floor Hand, Rig Hand.

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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.