Can AI Replace Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas in 2026?

Lower exposure. AI could handle about 16% of today's earth drillers, except oil and gas tasks by 2036, and there is a 6% chance the number of jobs falls by a fifth or more. AI mostly assists people in this role.

See how not to be replaced

Timeline

Year2030

Tasks AI can do

10%

Headcount (2025 = 100)

101

Chance of 20%+ fewer jobs

7% 2030 · 6% 2036

One person could cover, 2036

~1 roles

Share of today's tasks AI can perform

Headcount index, 2025 = 100 (dashed line)

Your survival map

Not every part of your job is at the same risk. Tap a number to see what to do about each task.

Your human coreDo it with AIHand to AI

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Your plan

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Try an AI tool on one task you'd normally do by hand: "Record drilling progress and geological data".Learn one AI tool well enough to show it in an interview, for: "Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns".Get visibly better at your human core: "Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills".Rewrite the top of your CV around judgment, people and decisions, not routine output.

Similar occupations

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters · Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · Wellhead Pumpers

Based on 30 O*NET tasks for "Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas" (SOC 47-5023.00). LLM alone: 9% of tasks; with AI tools: 18%. Projections are a model, not official statistics. How we calculate this · Data version 2026-10