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Overview
Well-diggers run drilling machinery and related equipment, record operations, keep machines serviceable, seal unused wells and prevent ground contamination.
In job descriptions, look for drilling rigs, boreholes, well maintenance, operation records, equipment checks, sealing work, contamination prevention, site safety and work around liquids, gases or ore extraction.
Explore this occupation
Search jobsWhat the work can involve
Well-diggers work on drilling sites where ground conditions, machinery, casing, fluids and sealing work must be controlled. The role mixes equipment operation with maintenance records and environmental care around wells that may handle ore, liquids or gases.
Skills and specializations
Useful depth includes drilling machinery, borehole preparation, equipment maintenance, operation logs, safe site setup, contamination prevention and well sealing. Some roles focus on water wells, while others support mineral, gas or industrial extraction work.
Salary context
Pay context depends on the drilling environment, travel demands, equipment size, site responsibility and how much maintenance or sealing work the role includes. Posts with difficult ground conditions or independent rig operation usually need stronger practical judgement.
Career paths
Experience can lead toward lead driller, drilling supervisor, site maintenance technician, environmental drilling roles or specialised borehole work for water, mining or industrial extraction projects.
Good to know
Read vacancies for the well type, drilling equipment, materials handled, recordkeeping duties, site safety routines and expectations for sealing unused wells. Clear adverts separate machine operation from broader geotechnical or environmental responsibility.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context, not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
Map overview
Click the map to search for well-digger jobs.
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 4
Wellhead Pumpers
53-7073.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETHelpers--Extraction Workers
47-5081.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETRoustabouts, Oil and Gas
47-5071.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETDerrick Operators, Oil and Gas
47-5011.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
Alternative labels
Occupation group
Well drillers and borers and related workers (8113)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/46bbecf4-368a-44a8-9262-dcd775ae2c46 |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 8113.9 |
| ISCO group | 8113 |
| Concept type | Occupation |