Drill Rig Operating

What the Numbers Say About Drill Rig Operating

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Drill Rig Operating occupation (OPM code 5729): 89 people, headcount up 1.1% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.

Average tenure in Drill Rig Operating runs 9.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $70,557 per year, 35.8% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.7% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (code 57) groups Drill Rig Operating together with 14 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Drill Rig Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Drill Rig Operating makes up 0.8% of the 10,693 employees across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, ranking #12 of 15 occupations in that family by headcount.