The U.S. Department of Labor has developed an automated occupational information database, O*NET, that identifies and describes work content, work skills, and training requirements for all jobs across the country in all sectors of the economy. Much of the occupational information contained in this report is derived directly from the O*NET database, and supplemented with information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Labor Market and Career Information.
| Industry | % of Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas employed | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Utility system construction | 37.2 | 0.39 |
| Other specialty trade contractors | 14.3 | 0.00 |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 5.8 | 0.80 |
| Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying | 3.8 | 0.00 |
| Other heavy and civil engineering construction | 2.7 | 1.84 |
| Building equipment contractors | 2.4 | 0.00 |
| Remediation and other waste management services | 2.3 | 0.00 |
| 2024 Statewide average hourly wage | $28.70 |
| 2024 National average hourly wage | $30.41 |
| 2022 National employment | 20,400 |
| 2022 Texas employment | 2,109 |
| Texas projected employment by 2032 | 2,450 |
| Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 | 262 |
| Region | Employment | Projected Employment 2032 | Projected Annual Openings 2032 |
Annual Growth Rate |
Average Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (all regions) | 2,109 | 2,450 | 262 | 1.51% | $59,705.00 |
| Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
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| Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
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| Transportation Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
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| Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
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| Design Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. |
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| Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
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| Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
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| Law and Government Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
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| Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
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| English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
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| Operation and Control Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
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| Equipment Maintenance Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. |
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| Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
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| Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
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| Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
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| Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
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| Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
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| Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
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| Equipment Selection Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. |
| Top 10 Relevant Abilities | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. |
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| Multilimb Coordination The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. |
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| Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
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| Reaction Time The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears. |
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| Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
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| Depth Perception The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object. |
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| Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
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| Rate Control The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene. |
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| Perceptual Speed The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object. |
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| Visualization The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. |