NOC 84101: Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators
What oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators do
Oil and gas well drilling workers operate drilling and service rig machinery as intermediate members of the rig crew. Oil and gas well services operators drive trucks and operate specialized hydraulic pumping systems to place cement in wells or to treat wells with chemicals, sand mixtures or gases to stimulate production. They are employed by drilling and well service contractors and by petroleum producing companies.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Oil and gas well drilling workers
- Use specialized equipment, information and maps to determine and document the location of buried pipelines and other utilities in preparation for seismic exploration and drilling activities
- Align and manipulate sections of pipe or drill stem from platform on rig derrick during removal and replacement of strings of pipe, or drill stem and drill bit
- Operate and maintain drilling mud systems and pumps during drilling, and mix mud, chemicals and additives
- Record mud flows and volumes and take samples
- Operate and maintain drilling rig diesel motors, transmissions and other mechanical equipment
- Assist in setting up, taking down and transporting drilling and service rigs
- Supervise floorhands and labourers.
- Oil and gas well services operators
- Drive well services truck to well site
- Assemble pumping equipment and attach pumps and hoses to wellhead
- Operate hydraulic pumping systems to pump chemicals, gases, sand, cement or other material into well
- Read gauges to monitor pressure, density, rate and concentration and adjust pumping procedure as required
- May mix chemicals and cements.
Job titles under NOC 84101
45 job titles are classified here, including acidizer - oil field services, blender operator - oil field services, control room operator - offshore drilling.
- acid treater - oil field services
- acid truck driver - oil field services
- acidizer - oil field services
- ballast control operator - offshore drilling rig
- blender operator - oil field services
- blending machine operator - oil field services
- carbon dioxide truck operator - oil field services
- cement truck driver - oil field services
- cementer - oil field services
- cementing equipment operator - oil field services
- chemical services operator - oil field services
- chemical truck operator - oil field services
- coiled tubing operator - oil field services
- control room operator - offshore drilling
- derrick worker - oil and gas drilling
- derrickhand
- derrickhand - offshore drilling
- derrickhand - oil and gas drilling
- derrickman/woman
- derrickman/woman - oil and gas drilling
- dynamic positioning operator - offshore drilling
- formation fracturing operator
- formation fracturing operator - oil field services
- frac driver - oil field services
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Training of up to three months with an experienced operator is required for oil and gas well services operators.
- Completion of petroleum industry-approved training courses may be required.
- One year of experience as a floorhand, assistant or labourer is usually required.
- Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), cryogenic safety or in other safety concerns may be required.
- Rig technician certification for motorhands and derrickhands may be required by some employers.
- Oil and gas well services operators require a driver's license appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven.
Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators 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 | $25.00/hr | $40.00/hr | $47.30/hr |
Calgary AB | $32.00/hr | $41.50/hr | $47.30/hr |
Edmonton AB | $28.50/hr | $40.00/hr | $47.30/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $19.50/hr | $25.90/hr | $36.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $26.00/hr | $41.00/hr | $47.30/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $24.50/hr | $40.00/hr | $47.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $19.50/hr | $25.90/hr | $36.00/hr |
Ontario | $22.94/hr | $30.00/hr | $41.60/hr |
Manitoba | $27.79/hr | $41.00/hr | $47.30/hr |
Saskatchewan | $26.00/hr | $41.00/hr | $47.30/hr |
Alberta | $29.00/hr | $40.63/hr | $47.30/hr |
British Columbia | $27.09/hr | $41.75/hr | $47.50/hr |
Using NOC 84101 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 45 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators?
Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators are NOC 2021 unit group 84101. Example job titles in this group include acidizer - oil field services, blender operator - oil field services, control room operator - offshore drilling, derrickhand.
What TEER is NOC 84101?
NOC 84101 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $40.00/hr, about $78,000 a year full-time, with a range of $25.00/hr to $47.30/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.