Will AI replace rotary drill operators, oil and gas?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 4h 52m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 3h 8m (39%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 0.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 9 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 4h 52m of a typical shift. 4 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 3 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes. (1h 51m a shift; e.g. Pason Electronic AutoDriller / AC AutoDriller, in use)
• Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells. (1h a shift; e.g. Nabors PACE-R801 (Canrig robotics + Smart Suite/SmartROS), in use)
• Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs. (34m a shift; e.g. Canrig Red Zone Robotics (RZR) Rig Floor Module on Nabors rig X29 (SmartROS), in use)
• Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance. (34m a shift; e.g. AutoSlide, in use)

3h 8m of a typical shift, or 39%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells. (51m a shift)
• Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective. (26m a shift)
• Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required. (26m a shift)
• Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools. (26m a shift)
• Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools. (21m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 99% work at arm's length or closer to other people
• 97% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 95% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $67,890 a year ($32.64 an hour), 33% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $47,010 and $101,860 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 13,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 13,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 633rd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 13,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is less than a high school diploma: about 31% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 3h 8m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Python, Salesforce software

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Helpers for Extraction Workers (2h 29m touched, $48k median pay)
• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (2h 31m touched, $70k median pay)
• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas (2h 52m touched, $58k median pay)
• Earth Drillers (3h 38m touched, $60k median pay)
• Wellhead Pumpers (2h 47m touched, $70k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 9 with robots in real deployments, 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.