NOC 83101: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
What oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers do
Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers control the operation of drilling and hoisting equipment on drilling and service rigs, and direct the activities of the rig crew under supervision of the rig manager. Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers operate specialized mechanical or electronic equipment, tools or instruments to provide services in conjunction with well drilling, completion or servicing. They are employed by drilling and well service contractors, petroleum producing companies and well logging or testing companies.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers
- Direct rig crew in setting up rigs and drilling, completing or servicing oil and gas exploration and producing wells
- Operate controls of drill or service rig drilling and hoisting machinery
- Train or arrange for training of crew
- Maintain records of drilling and servicing operations
- Ensure safety procedures are followed.
- Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers
- Drive well service or wireline truck to well site
- Assemble and attach equipment, tools or recorders to drill stem or wireline to conduct required procedures and tests
- Operate or direct the operation of wireline or unit controls to lower, position and retrieve equipment and instruments
- Operate recorders and computers in mobile testing or logging unit to collect data
- May perform limited data interpretation.
Job titles under NOC 83101
37 job titles are classified here, including assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling, directional drilling operator, downhole tool operator.
- assistant driller - offshore drilling rig
- assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling
- coring operator - oil field services
- directional driller - oil and gas drilling
- directional drilling operator
- directional drilling operator - oil and gas drilling
- downhole tool operator
- downhole tool operator - oil and gas drilling
- drill stem tester
- drill stem tester - oil and gas drilling
- driller - offshore drilling rig
- driller - oil and gas drilling
- electric line operator
- electric line operator - oil field services
- e-line operator - oil field services
- fishing tool operator - oil field services
- gas tester - oil field services
- gun perforator - oil field services
- hydrocarbon mud logger - oil field services
- logging and perforating operator
- logging and perforating operator - oil field services
- offshore driller - oil and gas
- oil well perforator
- production testing operator - oil and gas well drilling
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers require three to six months of formal on-the-job training, college or petroleum industry-approved training courses and four or more years of work experience in subordinate rig crew positions.
- A college diploma in drilling may be required.
- Offshore work requires several years of experience in an equivalent position on land.
- Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, well control, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) and a special oil well operator (boiler) certificate are required.
- Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers require three to six months of formal on-the-job training and several years of experience in subordinate logging and testing positions or on drilling and servicing rigs.
- Completion of a college program in electronics or engineering technology may be required for open hole well logging.
- A provincial blaster's licence, and seismic blaster and oil well blaster certification are required for well perforation services.
- Trade certification for rig technician is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified rig technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $26.37/hr | $47.12/hr | $70.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $19.92/hr | $33.31/hr | $42.46/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $22.92/hr | $50.07/hr | — |
Calgary AB | $25.63/hr | $38.89/hr | $62.66/hr |
Edmonton AB | $25.00/hr | $48.50/hr | $70.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $28.88/hr | $47.41/hr | $78.81/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $34.50/hr | $41.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $34.50/hr | $42.00/hr | $57.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $28.75/hr | $35.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $22.16/hr | $36.81/hr | $71.84/hr |
New Brunswick | $21.87/hr | $34.73/hr | $52.36/hr |
Ontario | $21.00/hr | $34.34/hr | $44.00/hr |
Manitoba | $32.00/hr | $35.77/hr | $52.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $34.50/hr | $42.00/hr | $57.00/hr |
Alberta | $25.00/hr | $48.50/hr | $70.00/hr |
British Columbia | $25.00/hr | $43.00/hr | $70.97/hr |
Using NOC 83101 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 37 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators (NOC 84101)
- Rig manager (NOC 82021)
- Water well drillers (NOC 72501)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers?
Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers are NOC 2021 unit group 83101. Example job titles in this group include assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling, directional drilling operator, downhole tool operator, drill stem tester.
What TEER is NOC 83101?
NOC 83101 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $47.12/hr, about $92,000 a year full-time, with a range of $26.37/hr to $70.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.