Oil and Gas Extraction, Storage and Transport Workers

How to become a Drilling Rig Worker

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 钻井工

Also called: Oil Drilling Worker, Drilling Fluid Worker, Rig Diesel Engine Worker

Operates oil drilling rigs, diesel engines and drilling fluid equipment to drill wells for oil, gas and other resources.

Main tasks

Running the rig to trip pipe, drill, take cores, run casing and do other operations
Preventing blowouts with the rig and blowout preventers and helping in emergencies
Mixing and weighting drilling fluid
Keeping drilling fluid in good condition with solids control equipment and supplying it for drilling
Running diesel engines and generators to provide power and lighting for drilling
Filling in production records

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Drilling Technology (420403). Vocational major 420403 Drilling Technology (钻井技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Oil and Gas Production Technology (420404). Vocational major 420404 Intelligent Oil and Gas Production Technology (油气智能开采技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Petroleum Engineering Technology (420406). Vocational major 420406 Petroleum Engineering Technology (石油工程技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Oil Well Drilling (620403). Vocational major 620403 Oil Well Drilling (石油钻井), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Petroleum Engineering Technology (220402). Vocational major 220402 Petroleum Engineering Technology (石油工程技术), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥81,700 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥53,100 to CN¥125,200. One in ten earn less than CN¥38,100 and one in ten more than CN¥178,000.
This is the figure for the mid group Mining Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Mining Workers holds 0.45% of everyone employed in China; 10.2% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
23.1% are under 35, 67.8% are 35 to 54 and 9% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 40 to 44.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Drilling Rig Worker?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Drilling Technology (420403); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Intelligent Oil and Gas Production Technology (420404).

How much does a Drilling Rig Worker earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥81,700 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Mining Workers.

Will AI change the work of a Drilling Rig Worker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026