What are the main factors that influence a Drilling Contractor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Drilling Contractor's salary?

A Drilling Contractor's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $50,072, a Drilling Contractor (3-5 years)earns $63,399, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $72,110,

What are the highest paying states for a Drilling Contractor?

Drilling Contractor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Drilling Contractor roles are District of Columbia $68,710, California $68,449, Massachusetts $67,537. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Drilling Contractor roles make?

Salaries for Drilling Contractor level roles vary by specialization: Drilling Manager: $181,394; Drilling Technician: $169,844; Drilling Technologist: $168,220; Drilling Foreman: $131,200; Drilling Superintendent: $129,655.

How do different companies affect a Drilling Contractor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Drilling Contractor roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Drilling Contractor Salary in the United States

How much does a Drilling Contractor make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Drilling Contractor in the United States is $62,057 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Drilling Contractor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,966
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,617 to $68,814
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49,754

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Drilling Contractor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,814	$5,734	$1,323	$33
Average	$62,057	$5,171	$1,193	$30
25th Percentile	$55,617	$4,635	$1,070	$27

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Key Factors That Influence Drilling Contractor Salaries

A Drilling Contractor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Drilling Contractor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Drilling Contractors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $68,710.
California: $68,449.
Massachusetts: $67,537.

District of Columbia $68,710 California $68,449 Massachusetts $67,537 Washington $67,288 New Jersey $67,264 Alaska $67,177 Connecticut $66,320 New York $65,973

Hawaii $64,862 Rhode Island $64,341 Maryland $63,987 Minnesota $63,503 Colorado $63,317 Illinois $63,255 Oregon $63,019 Delaware $62,845

New Hampshire $62,736 Virginia $62,491 Pennsylvania $61,778 Nevada $61,418 North Dakota $61,300 Michigan $61,114 Wisconsin $61,045 Vermont $60,909

Texas $60,530 Maine $60,506 Arizona $60,468 Ohio $60,425 Georgia $59,854 Indiana $59,569 Wyoming $59,513 Utah $59,426

Iowa $59,389 Kansas $59,091 Louisiana $59,004 North Carolina $58,973 Missouri $58,960 Florida $58,718 Montana $58,588 Nebraska $58,464

Kentucky $58,396 South Carolina $58,147 Tennessee $57,992 Idaho $57,930 New Mexico $57,477 Oklahoma $57,378 Alabama $57,012 South Dakota $56,397

Arkansas $56,062 West Virginia $55,882 Mississippi $55,342

Top Paying Cities for Drilling Contractors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $78,272
San Francisco: $77,415
Oakland: $75,784

San Jose, CA $78,272

San Francisco, CA $77,415

Oakland, CA $75,784

New York, NY $71,452

Paramus, NJ $70,583

Queens Village, NY $70,580

Passaic, NJ $70,521

Bergenfield, NJ $70,515

Stamford, CT $70,379

Huntington, NY $70,353

Newark, NJ $69,895

Bridgeport, CT $69,764

Vallejo, CA $69,640

New Brunswick, NJ $69,616

Petaluma, CA $69,578

Middlesex, NJ $69,460

Somerset, NJ $69,417

Santa Cruz, CA $69,336

Boston, MA $68,958

Monterey, CA $68,740

Seattle, WA $68,598

Santa Rosa, CA $68,585

Los Angeles, CA $68,567

Juneau, AK $68,405

Washington, DC $68,337

Orange, CA $68,116

Santa Ana, CA $67,952

Long Beach, CA $67,890

Anaheim, CA $67,878

Anchorage, AK $67,847

Santa Maria, CA $67,661

Everett, WA $67,648

Danbury, CT $67,430

Bremerton, WA $67,344

Tacoma, WA $67,121

New Suffolk, NY $67,120

Sacramento, CA $67,102

Santa Barbara, CA $67,034

Trenton, NJ $66,966

San Diego, CA $66,966

Brockton, MA $66,897

Fairbanks, AK $66,745

Lompoc, CA $66,587

Lowell, MA $66,537

Ventura, CA $66,525

Nashua, NH $66,513

Stockton, CA $66,506

Modesto, CA $66,053

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,917

Olympia, WA $65,799

Kennewick, WA $65,799

New Haven, CT $65,774

Lawrence, MA $65,551

Hartford, CT $65,489

Riverside, CA $65,476

New Bedford, MA $65,414

Richland, WA $65,414

Bakersfield, CA $65,327

San Bernardino, CA $65,303

New Britain, CT $65,296

Atlantic City, NJ $65,296

New London, CT $65,272

Norwich, CT $65,253

Portsmouth, NH $65,241

Boulder, CO $65,109

Portland, OR $65,023

Worcester, MA $65,017

Minneapolis, MN $64,825

Philadelphia, PA $64,738

Honolulu, HI $64,533

Saint Paul, MN $64,503

Vineland, NJ $64,490

Providence, RI $64,310

Chicago, IL $64,130

Bellingham, WA $64,055

Springfield, MA $64,006

Baltimore, MD $63,987

Chico, CA $63,832

Pittsfield, MA $63,664

Manchester, NH $63,546

Spokane, WA $63,273

Denver, CO $63,267

Albany, NY $62,975

Troy, NY $62,951

Nassau, NY $62,884

Schenectady, NY $62,820

Wilmington, DE $62,771

Burlington, VT $62,684

Salem, OR $62,659

Portland, ME $62,467

Yakima, WA $62,405

Rochester, MN $62,212

Reno, NV $62,181

Fresno, CA $62,181

Milwaukee, WI $62,125

Detroit, MI $62,063

Ann Arbor, MI $62,053

Allentown, PA $62,045

Colorado Springs, CO $61,939

Syracuse, NY $61,908

Carson City, NV $61,908

Houston, TX $61,821

Eugene, OR $61,790

Gary, IN $61,716

Springfield, OR $61,666

Bismarck, ND $61,654

Galveston, TX $61,610

Medford, OR $61,517

Fort Collins, CO $61,492

Concord, NH $61,461

Austin, TX $61,443

Mesa, AZ $61,312

Reading, PA $61,306

Phoenix, AZ $61,300

Dallas, TX $61,281

Saint Cloud, MN $61,222

Madison, WI $61,139

Utica, NY $60,971

Rochester, NY $60,872

Des Moines, IA $60,866

Raleigh, NC $60,859

Atlanta, GA $60,766

Battle Creek, MI $60,748

Salt Lake City, UT $60,729

Lancaster, PA $60,636

Harrisburg, PA $60,549

Kansas City, MO $60,487

Champaign, IL $60,475

Kansas City, KS $60,475

Fort Worth, TX $60,468

Columbus, OH $60,458

Boca Raton, FL $60,444

Pittsburgh, PA $60,419

Richmond, VA $60,394

Indianapolis, IN $60,381

Cleveland, OH $60,375

Las Vegas, NV $60,301

Cincinnati, OH $60,301

Petersburg, VA $60,208

Huntsville, AL $60,115

Lansing, MI $60,073

Lebanon, PA $60,065

Pueblo, CO $60,059

Appleton, WI $60,040

Buffalo, NY $60,015

Dayton, OH $59,997

Racine, WI $59,984

Charlotte, NC $59,978

Saint Louis, MO $59,959

York, PA $59,922

Elkhart, IN $59,922

Gastonia, NC $59,910

Billings, MT $59,896

Beaumont, TX $59,879

Lorain, OH $59,866

Benton Harbor, MI $59,854

Toledo, OH $59,842

Binghamton, NY $59,811

Rock Hill, SC $59,804

Rockford, IL $59,773

Springfield, IL $59,748

Elyria, OH $59,742

Fargo, ND $59,742

Flagstaff, AZ $59,699

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,662

Duluth, MN $59,624

Miami, FL $59,624

Cheyenne, WY $59,581

Grand Forks, ND $59,581

Bangor, ME $59,444

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,376

Durham, NC $59,350

Louisville, KY $59,345

Grand Rapids, MI $59,333

Hialeah, FL $59,326

Casper, WY $59,240

Scranton, PA $59,165

New Orleans, LA $59,147

Virginia Beach, VA $59,140

Akron, OH $59,109

Peoria, IL $59,029

Sarasota, FL $59,016

Nashville, TN $58,973

Omaha, NE $58,973

Green Bay, WI $58,973

Baton Rouge, LA $58,942

Charleston, SC $58,929

Jamestown, NY $58,898

Davenport, IA $58,898

Tucson, AZ $58,867

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,830

Tampa, FL $58,818

Evansville, IN $58,780

Port Arthur, TX $58,780

Bradenton, FL $58,756

Santa Fe, NM $58,644

Orlando, FL $58,532

Clearwater, FL $58,514

Canton, OH $58,383

La Crosse, WI $58,383

Albuquerque, NM $58,346

Newport News, VA $58,340

High Point, NC $58,321

Ogden, UT $58,296

Corpus Christi, TX $58,247

Norfolk, VA $58,209

Laramie, WY $58,209

Rock Island, IL $58,172

Saginaw, MI $58,160

Jacksonville, FL $58,154

Salisbury, NC $58,141

Boise, ID $58,129

Moline, IL $58,098

Fort Myers, FL $58,079

Memphis, TN $58,067

Tulsa, OK $58,036

Waterloo, IA $57,998

Spartanburg, SC $57,936

Lincoln, NE $57,905

Fort Wayne, IN $57,893

Provo, UT $57,887

Cedar Falls, IA $57,812

San Antonio, TX $57,787

Greensboro, NC $57,763

South Bend, IN $57,756

Savannah, GA $57,688

Muskegon, MI $57,663

Birmingham, AL $57,657

Winston Salem, NC $57,627

Lake Charles, LA $57,477

Anderson, IN $57,465

Lexington, KY $57,446

Augusta, GA $57,428

Greenville, SC $57,428

Lima, OH $57,378

Wichita, KS $57,372

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,372

Columbia, SC $57,316

Springfield, OH $57,303

Asheville, NC $57,204

Bloomington, IN $57,161

Knoxville, TN $56,937

Shreveport, LA $56,931

Wilmington, NC $56,850

Roanoke, VA $56,850

Topeka, KS $56,739

Frankfort, KY $56,732

Oklahoma City, OK $56,689

Chillicothe, OH $56,664

Longview, TX $56,658

Melbourne, FL $56,652

Sioux Falls, SD $56,553

Mobile, AL $56,546

Terre Haute, IN $56,522

Altoona, PA $56,484

Amarillo, TX $56,441

Killeen, TX $56,422

Fayetteville, AR $56,373

Chattanooga, TN $56,354

Sioux City, IA $56,298

Idaho Falls, ID $56,286

Lynchburg, VA $56,236

Gainesville, FL $56,155

Portsmouth, OH $56,124

Little Rock, AR $56,112

Lafayette, LA $56,087

Youngstown, OH $56,087

Daytona Beach, FL $56,050

Clarksville, TN $56,044

Pensacola, FL $56,037

Temple, TX $56,033

Hopkinsville, KY $55,851

Erie, PA $55,839

Florence, SC $55,814

Charleston, WV $55,715

Great Falls, MT $55,684

Macon, GA $55,597

Tallahassee, FL $55,591

Fayetteville, NC $55,578

Waco, TX $55,566

Helena, MT $55,522

Pine Bluff, AR $55,499

Vincennes, IN $55,423

Lubbock, TX $55,398

Alamogordo, NM $55,361

Twin Falls, ID $55,305

Rapid City, SD $55,287

Jackson, MS $55,175

Huntington, WV $55,171

Greenville, MS $55,169

Parkersburg, WV $55,105

Montgomery, AL $55,094

Wichita Falls, TX $55,032

Springfield, MO $55,032

Biloxi, MS $55,001

Monroe, LA $54,939

Johnstown, PA $54,896

Sumter, SC $54,871

Columbus, GA $54,865

Pascagoula, MS $54,747

Abilene, TX $54,747

Kingsport, TN $54,585

Albany, GA $54,585

Gulfport, MS $54,567

Alexandria, LA $54,362

Fort Smith, AR $54,207

El Paso, TX $54,039

Las Cruces, NM $53,760

Harlingen, TX $53,602

Pocatello, ID $53,592

Florence, AL $53,512

Brownsville, TX $53,499

Mcallen, TX $53,369

Dothan, AL $53,282

Columbus, MS $52,914

Altus, OK $52,624

Lawton, OK $52,506

Pierre, SD $52,283

What Skills Can Increase a Drilling Contractor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 0.98% Job Postings): Preventive maintenance is the act of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future. Put simply, it's about fixing things before they break.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	1.78%
Preventative Maintenance	1.3%
Preventive Maintenance	0.98%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Drilling Contractor's salary.

Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Lean: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Initiative	$64,539	4%
Written Communication	$63,919	3%
Lean	$63,298	2%
Visual Inspection	$62,678	1%
CAD	$62,678	1%
Problem Solving	$62,678	1%

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How Education impacts a Drilling Contractor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Drilling Contractors enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Drilling Contractor with a Associate's Degree is between $59,874 and $64,349).

Drilling Contractor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Drilling Contractor

No Diploma 1.1%

High School 76.1%

Associates 19.3%

Bachelors 2.3%

Masters 1.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.1%
High School	76.1%
Associates	19.3%
Bachelors	2.3%
Masters	1.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Drilling Contractor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Drilling Contractor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$55,617

Average $62,057/year

$68,814

$4,635

Average $5,171/month

$5,734

$1,070

Average $1,193/week

$1,323

$27

Average $30/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,814	$5,734	$1,323	$33
Average	$62,057	$5,171	$1,193	$30
25th Percentile	$55,617	$4,635	$1,070	$27

Salaries of jobs related to Drilling Contractor

Salary Trends for Drilling Contractor

Salaries for a Drilling Contractor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $48,033 in 2023 to around $47,575 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Drilling Contractor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Drilling Contractor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,033

2024

$47,895

2025

$47,575

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,033
2024	$47,895
2025	$47,575
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Drilling Contractor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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