Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 47-5013.00
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.19
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 18 hidden tasks19 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (5.3%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Tasks of O*NET-SOC 2010 occupation 47-5013.00 Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining, linked to this occupation by the O*NET-SOC 2010 to 2019 crosswalk
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Interpret instrument readings to ascertain the depth of obstruction.47-5013.00 | 0.0204100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes.O*NET Task ID 7083 | 1.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (19)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Confer with others to gather information regarding pipe or tool sizes or borehole conditions in wells. | Core |
| Drive truck-mounted units to well sites. | Core |
| Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads. | Core |
| Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools. | Core |
| Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil. | Core |
| Close and seal wells no longer in use. | Core |
| Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs. | Core |
| Prepare reports of services rendered, tools used, or time required, for billing purposes. | Core |
| Select fishing methods or tools for removing obstacles such as liners, broken casing, screens, or drill pipe. | Core |
| Interpret instrument readings to ascertain the depth of obstruction. | Core |
| Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools. | Core |
| Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions. | Core |
| Direct drilling crews performing activities such as assembling and connecting pipe, applying weights to drill pipes, or drilling around lodged obstacles. | Supplemental |
| Perforate well casings or sidewalls of boreholes with explosive charges. | Supplemental |
| Operate specialized equipment to remove obstructions by backing off or severing pipes by chemical or explosive action. | Supplemental |
| Examine unserviceable wells to determine actions to be taken to improve well conditions. | Supplemental |
| Insert detection instruments into wells with obstructions. | Supplemental |
| Monitor sound wave-generating or detecting mechanisms to determine well fluid levels. | Supplemental |
| Apply green technologies or techniques, such as the use of coiled tubing, slim-hole drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, or gas lift systems. | Supplemental |
0.75/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Drive truck-mounted units to well sites. | E2 structured facilities |
| Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads. | E0 none |
| Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Operate pumps that circulate water, oil, or other fluids through wells to remove sand or other materials obstructing the free flow of oil. | E2 structured facilities |
| Close and seal wells no longer in use. | E0 none |
| Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs. | E2 structured facilities |
| Maintain and perform safety inspections on equipment and tools. | E0 none |
| Listen to engines, rotary chains, or other equipment to detect faulty operations or unusual well conditions. | E2 structured facilities |
| Perforate well casings or sidewalls of boreholes with explosive charges. | E0 none |
| Operate specialized equipment to remove obstructions by backing off or severing pipes by chemical or explosive action. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine unserviceable wells to determine actions to be taken to improve well conditions. | E0 none |
| Insert detection instruments into wells with obstructions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Monitor sound wave-generating or detecting mechanisms to determine well fluid levels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Apply green technologies or techniques, such as the use of coiled tubing, slim-hole drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, or gas lift systems. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 44K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 44K
- Change (2025–35)
- +1.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $58,160
- Typical education needed for entry
- No formal educational credential
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87402 | 시추 장비 조작원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 8113Well Drillers and Borers and Related Workers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Well drillers and borers and related workers position, assemble and operate drilling machinery and related equipment to sink wells, extract rock samples, liquids and gases or for a variety of other purposes.
Tasks
- (a) dismantling, moving and assembling drilling rigs and auxiliary equipment;
- (b) assembling and dismantling pipes, casings and drill heads, and replacing dysfunctional equipment;
- (c) operating controls to lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells, regulate pressure in the well and control the speed of tools;
- (d) preparing drilling fluid and checking the operation of pumps to ensure adequate circulation of fluid in drill pipe and well;
- (e) monitoring gauges and other indicators and listening to equipment to detect malfunctions and unusual well conditions, and determining the need to change drilling or equipment;
- (f) maintaining, adjusting, repairing and cleaning drilling rigs, hoisting and other machinery;
- (g) maintaining records of drilling and servicing operations;
- (h) operating machines and tools to extract dust, cuttings and lost and broken drilling equipment from holes and wells;
- (i) closing and sealing wells no longer in use;
- (j) supervising and training crew members.
Example occupations
Bore sinker · Boring equipment operator · Derrickman · Derrick operator · Developmental driller · Directional driller · Driller (oil or gas well) · Drilling plant operator · Drilling rig operator · Power-tong operator · Toolpusher · Tourpusher
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- gaugerESCO 8131.8Overlapping, not the same
Gaugers test oil during the processing and before dispatch. They control pumping systems and regulate the flow of oil into the pipelines.
- oil rig motorhandESCO 8113.3Overlapping, not the same
Oil rig motorhands assume responsibility for the engines powering the drilling equipment. They ensure that all other rig equipment operates correctly.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| F1403 | Foreur / Foreuse pétrole et gaz | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| F1404 | Technicien / Technicienne de forage pétrole et gaz | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8113 | Sondistas y trabajadores afines | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 21112 | Berufe im Berg- und Tagebau - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 646 | 採油・天然ガス採取機械運転従事者 | This occupation is narrower |
| 645 | 建設・さく井機械運転従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources