NOC 85111: Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers
What oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers do
Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers carry out a variety of general labouring duties and operate equipment to assist in the drilling and servicing of oil and gas wells. This unit group also includes labourers who assist in geophysical prospecting for oil and gas. They are employed by drilling and well servicing contractors and by petroleum producing companies.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Manipulate sections of pipe or drill stem at the rig floor during drilling and during the removal and replacement of strings of pipe or drill stem and drill bit
- Maintain drilling equipment on the drill floor
- Handle, sort and move drill tools, pipe, cement and other materials
- Clean up rig areas
- Assist in setting up, taking down and transporting drilling and service rigs and service equipment
- May drive trucks to transport materials and well service equipment.
Job titles under NOC 85111
44 job titles are classified here, including floorman/woman - oil and gas drilling, leasehand, oil field labourer.
- floorhand - offshore drilling rig
- floorhand - oil and gas drilling
- floorhand - service rig
- floorman/woman - offshore drilling rig
- floorman/woman - oil and gas drilling
- gravity prospecting observer helper
- leasehand
- leasehand - oil and gas drilling
- observer helper - gravity prospecting
- observer helper - seismic prospecting
- oil field labourer
- oil well cementer helper
- perforator helper - oil field services
- perforator loader helper - oil field services
- reeled tubing helper - oil field services
- roughneck
- roughneck - offshore drilling rig
- roughneck - oil and gas drilling
- roustabout
- roustabout - offshore drilling rig
- roustabout - oil and gas drilling
- seismic GPS rover
- seismic line cutter
- seismic prospecting observer helper
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- Completion of introductory college or petroleum industry-approved training courses may be required.
- Certificates in hydrogen sulphide awareness, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) or transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) may be required.
Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers 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 | $21.52/hr | $31.00/hr | $39.50/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.50/hr | $22.18/hr | $30.75/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $26.00/hr | $36.00/hr | $40.50/hr |
Calgary AB | $22.00/hr | $36.57/hr | $40.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $23.50/hr | $32.50/hr | $39.50/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $31.50/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $24.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $25.00/hr | $37.00/hr | $41.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $22.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $41.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Quebec | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $31.50/hr |
Ontario | $20.50/hr | $34.00/hr | $40.60/hr |
Manitoba | $26.50/hr | $38.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $24.00/hr | $34.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Alberta | $23.00/hr | $31.86/hr | $39.50/hr |
British Columbia | $25.00/hr | $32.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Using NOC 85111 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 44 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 drilling, servicing and related labourers?
Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers are NOC 2021 unit group 85111. Example job titles in this group include floorman/woman - oil and gas drilling, leasehand, oil field labourer, roughneck.
What TEER is NOC 85111?
NOC 85111 is TEER 5 (Short work demonstration). Usually requires a short work demonstration and no formal education. 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 drilling, servicing and related labourers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $31.00/hr, about $60,000 a year full-time, with a range of $21.52/hr to $39.50/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.