What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Drilling Rig Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Drilling Rig Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by California City, CA and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $71,029 $5,919 $1,365 $34.15 California City, CA $70,225 $5,852 $1,350 $33.76 Berkeley, CA $70,110 $5,842 $1,348 $33.71 Sitka, AK $68,978 $5,748 $1,326 $33.16 Wyoming, WY $68,288 $5,690 $1,313 $32.83 San Francisco, CA $67,461 $5,621 $1,297 $32.43 Santa Clara, CA $67,247 $5,603 $1,293 $32.33 Red Dog Mine, AK $67,209 $5,600 $1,292 $32.31 Red Dog, AK $67,209 $5,600 $1,292 $32.31 Sunnyvale, CA $67,202 $5,600 $1,292 $32.31

Drilling Rig Operator

Drilling Rig Operator Salary

Q: How much does a Drilling Rig Operator make?

The average annual pay for a drilling rig operator in the United States is $57,259 a year — that works out to approximately $27.53 an hour. The middle 80% of Drilling Rig Operators earn between $40,000 (10th percentile) and $80,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Drilling Rig Operator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Drilling Rig Operator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Computational Mechanics Engineer at $64,256 (112.2%) above Drilling Rig Operator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Computational Mechanics Engineer $121,515 $10,126 $2,336 $58.42 Innovation Engineer $87,220 $7,268 $1,677 $41.93 Wind Turbine Commissioning Engineer $85,000 $7,083 $1,634 $40.87 Compact Power Equipment Services $57,029 $4,752 $1,096 $27.42 Workover Rig $55,272 $4,606 $1,062 $26.57

$30.5K

$54K

$90K

$57,259

/year

$27.53

/hour

Drilling Rig Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$57,259

Columbus

Ohio

$55,306

Do you get a good deal as a Drilling Rig Operator?

Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

Take The Breakroom Quiz

How much does a Drilling Rig Operator make?

As of Jul 3, 2026, the average annual pay for a Drilling Rig Operator in the United States is $57,259 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.53 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,101/week or $4,771/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $90,000 and as low as $30,500, the majority of Drilling Rig Operator salaries currently range between $46,000 (25th percentile) to $62,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $80,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Drilling Rig Operator varies greatly (by as much as 16500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Drilling Rig Operator in your area makes on average $55,306 per year, or $1,953 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $57,259. Ohio ranks number 38 out of 50 states nationwide for Drilling Rig Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Drilling Rig Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Drilling Rig Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Drilling Rig Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Drilling Rig Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with California City, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $12,851 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $13,770 (24.0%) above the $57,259 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Drilling Rig Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Sunnyvale, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Drilling Rig Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$71,029	$5,919	$1,365	$34.15
California City, CA	$70,225	$5,852	$1,350	$33.76
Berkeley, CA	$70,110	$5,842	$1,348	$33.71
Sitka, AK	$68,978	$5,748	$1,326	$33.16
Wyoming, WY	$68,288	$5,690	$1,313	$32.83
San Francisco, CA	$67,461	$5,621	$1,297	$32.43
Santa Clara, CA	$67,247	$5,603	$1,293	$32.33
Red Dog Mine, AK	$67,209	$5,600	$1,292	$32.31
Red Dog, AK	$67,209	$5,600	$1,292	$32.31
Sunnyvale, CA	$67,202	$5,600	$1,292	$32.31

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Drilling Rig Operator Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Drilling Rig Operator category.

For example Computational Mechanics Engineer jobs pay as much as $64,256 (112.2%) more than the average Drilling Rig Operator salary of $57,259. If you're qualified, finding work as a Computational Mechanics Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Drilling Rig Operator position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Computational Mechanics Engineer	$121,515	$10,126	$2,336	$58.42
Innovation Engineer	$87,220	$7,268	$1,677	$41.93
Wind Turbine Commissioning Engineer	$85,000	$7,083	$1,634	$40.87
Compact Power Equipment Services	$57,029	$4,752	$1,096	$27.42
Workover Rig	$55,272	$4,606	$1,062	$26.57

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Drilling Rig Operator salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $57,259 per year or $27.53 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Drilling Rig Operator Salary