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Drilling engineer

Also called rig driller, earth driller, wells engineer

Drilling engineers develop and supervise the drilling of gas and oil wells. They assist in the designing, testing and creation of wells and are employed on land or offshore platforms. Drilling engineers work with other mining professionals and oversee the drilling progress and safety of the site.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospects40 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Science and engineering professionalsWhat does it pay?Above averageFrom about €2,000 (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Science and engineering professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Science and engineering professionalsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals · ILO

What you'd do

Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals · ILO
  • Determining the location and planning the extraction of coal, metallic ores, non-metallic minerals, and building materials, such as stone and gravel
  • Determining most suitable methods of efficient mining and extraction and types of machinery to be used, planning layout and directing construction of shafts and tunnels
  • Determining drilling site and devising methods of controlling the flow of water, oil or gas from wells
  • Planning and directing storage, initial treatment and transportation of water, oil or gas
  • Establishing safety standards and procedures and first-aid facilities, especially underground
  • Conducting research, developing methods of extracting metals from their ores and advising on their application
  • Investigating properties of metals and alloys, developing new alloys and advising on and supervising technical aspects of metal and alloy manufacture and processing
  • Maintaining technical liaison and consultancy with other relevant specialists such as geologists and geophysicists
  • Examining deposits or mines to evaluate profitability
Prepare scientific reportsEnsure compliance with environmental legislationAddress problems criticallyTroubleshootSupervise staff+ 16 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • Sitting most of the day
  • Constant contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Petroleum Engineers"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

Many jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as science and engineering professionals in the EU
5.82m7.82m9.03m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
948,000 new jobs 2,300,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Science and engineering professionals40
All jobs29
Right now
1 of 27 countries report a shortage of mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals, 3 a surplus.
Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals · EURES

What does it pay?

Above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €2,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree in earth sciences is the usual route.

Highest qualification of science and engineering professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 90%Vocational 6%General secondary 3%Basic schooling 1%
Field that teaches it
Earth sciences
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Science and maths graduates in a matching job
63% in the EU

697 institutions in the EU offer science and maths bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.29 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 9 tasks
Planning and directing storage, initial treatment and transportation of water, oil or gas0.36
Maintaining technical liaison and consultancy with other relevant specialists such as geologists and geophysicists0.35
Determining most suitable methods of efficient mining and extraction and types of machinery to be used, planning layout and directing construction of shafts and tunnels0.31
Conducting research, developing methods of extracting metals from their ores and advising on their application0.31
Investigating properties of metals and alloys, developing new alloys and advising on and supervising technical aspects of metal and alloy manufacture and processing0.29
Determining the location and planning the extraction of coal, metallic ores, non-metallic minerals, and building materials, such as stone and gravel0.28
Determining drilling site and devising methods of controlling the flow of water, oil or gas from wells0.27
Examining deposits or mines to evaluate profitability0.26
Establishing safety standards and procedures and first-aid facilities, especially underground0.19

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).