Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators
Occupation · NOC 2021 84101 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 84101
- TEER
- 4
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 6
- Median wage, Canada
- C$40.00 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 76
OC<CANOIL<AND<GAS<WELL<DRILLING<AND<RELATED< 841012<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<4
About this occupation
Oil and gas well drilling workers operate drilling and service rig machinery as intermediate members of the rig crew. Oil and gas well services operators drive trucks and operate specialized hydraulic pumping systems to place cement in wells or to treat wells with chemicals, sand mixtures or gases to stimulate production. They are employed by drilling and well service contractors and by petroleum producing companies.
Example job titles
- acidizer - oil field services
- blender operator - oil field services
- control room operator - offshore drilling
- derrickhand
- motorhand - oil and gas drilling
- offshore drilling rig technician
- oil well cementer - oil field services
- pumper operator - oil field services
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Oil and gas well drilling workers
- Use specialized equipment, information and maps to determine and document the location of buried pipelines and other utilities in preparation for seismic exploration and drilling activities
- Align and manipulate sections of pipe or drill stem from platform on rig derrick during removal and replacement of strings of pipe, or drill stem and drill bit
- Operate and maintain drilling mud systems and pumps during drilling, and mix mud, chemicals and additives
- Record mud flows and volumes and take samples
- Operate and maintain drilling rig diesel motors, transmissions and other mechanical equipment
- Assist in setting up, taking down and transporting drilling and service rigs
- Supervise floorhands and labourers.
- Oil and gas well services operators
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Training of up to three months with an experienced operator is required for oil and gas well services operators.
- Completion of petroleum industry-approved training courses may be required.
- One year of experience as a floorhand, assistant or labourer is usually required.
- Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), cryogenic safety or in other safety concerns may be required.
- Rig technician certification for motorhands and derrickhands may be required by some employers.
- Oil and gas well services operators require a driver's license appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
- Transocean Canada Drilling Company4
- I.T. INTERNATIONAL TELECOM CANADA INC.1
- Ferme RM Perron et fils1
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25 | 0 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 30 |
| 2015 | 0 | 20 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2015 | 20 |
| 2020 | 30 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 25 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$25.00 | C$40.00 | C$47.30 |
| Alberta | C$29.00 | C$40.63 | C$47.30 |
| British Columbia | C$27.09 | C$41.75 | C$47.50 |
| Manitoba | C$27.79 | C$41.00 | C$47.30 |
| Ontario | C$22.94 | C$30.00 | C$41.60 |
| Quebec | C$19.50 | C$25.90 | C$36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | C$26.00 | C$41.00 | C$47.30 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 76
- Vacancies advertised
- 282
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$42.80
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