National Occupational Classification, TEER 3
NOC 83101: Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers control the operation of drilling and hoisting equipment on drilling and service rigs, and direct the activities of the rig crew under supervision of the rig manager. Below are the main duties, all 37 job titles it covers, what it means for Express Entry and what it pays in each province.
Updated
- Official NOC 2021 data
- Job Bank wages
What is NOC 83101?
NOC 83101 is the code for oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling, directional drilling operator, downhole tool operator and drill stem tester. It is a TEER 3 occupation (usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training), so it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. The Job Bank median wage across Canada is $47.12 an hour.
- NOC code
- 83101
- TEER
- 3: College diploma, apprenticeship under 2 years or 6+ months of training
- Broad category
- Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations
- Express Entry
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
- Category draws
- None
- Median wage
- $47.12 an hour
Job titles under NOC 83101
Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers control the operation of drilling and hoisting equipment on drilling and service rigs, and direct the activities of the rig crew under supervision of the rig manager. Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers operate specialized mechanical or electronic equipment, tools or instruments to provide services in conjunction with well drilling, completion or servicing. They are employed by drilling and well service contractors, petroleum producing companies and well logging or testing companies.
Main job titles
- assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling
- directional drilling operator
- downhole tool operator
- drill stem tester
- driller - oil and gas drilling
- electric line operator
- logging and perforating operator
- service rig operator
- slickline operator
- well testing operator
- wireline operator
All 37 job titles in the NOC index
assistant driller - offshore drilling rig, assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling, coring operator - oil field services, directional driller - oil and gas drilling, directional drilling operator, directional drilling operator - oil and gas drilling, downhole tool operator, downhole tool operator - oil and gas drilling, drill stem tester, drill stem tester - oil and gas drilling, driller - offshore drilling rig, driller - oil and gas drilling, electric line operator, electric line operator - oil field services, e-line operator - oil field services, fishing tool operator - oil field services, gas tester - oil field services, gun perforator - oil field services, hydrocarbon mud logger - oil field services, logging and perforating operator, logging and perforating operator - oil field services, offshore driller - oil and gas, oil well perforator, production testing operator - oil and gas well drilling, rig technician - driller, service rig operator, service rig operator - oil field services, sidewall core sampler - oil field services, slickline operator, slickline operator - oil field services, well puller - oil field services, well testing operator, well testing operator - oil and gas drilling, wireline operator, wireline operator - oil field services, wireline operator trainee, workover rig operator - oil field services.
Main duties of NOC 83101
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers
- Direct rig crew in setting up rigs and drilling, completing or servicing oil and gas exploration and producing wells
- Operate controls of drill or service rig drilling and hoisting machinery
- Train or arrange for training of crew
- Maintain records of drilling and servicing operations
- Ensure safety procedures are followed.
- Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers
- Drive well service or wireline truck to well site
- Assemble and attach equipment, tools or recorders to drill stem or wireline to conduct required procedures and tests
- Operate or direct the operation of wireline or unit controls to lower, position and retrieve equipment and instruments
- Operate recorders and computers in mobile testing or logging unit to collect data
- May perform limited data interpretation.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Oil and gas well drillers and well servicers require three to six months of formal on-the-job training, college or petroleum industry-approved training courses and four or more years of work experience in subordinate rig crew positions.
- A college diploma in drilling may be required.
- Offshore work requires several years of experience in an equivalent position on land.
- Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, well control, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) and a special oil well operator (boiler) certificate are required.
- Oil and gas well loggers, testers and related workers require three to six months of formal on-the-job training and several years of experience in subordinate logging and testing positions or on drilling and servicing rigs.
- Completion of a college program in electronics or engineering technology may be required for open hole well logging.
- A provincial blaster's licence, and seismic blaster and oil well blaster certification are required for well perforation services.
- Trade certification for rig technician is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified rig technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Additional information
- Mobility between jobs on drilling and service rigs is limited by the differences in the machinery, tools and operations performed, but mobility is possible especially from drilling to service rigs.
- Progression to crew supervisor or manager is possible with experience and additional education and training.
- The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
Is NOC 83101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 3 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.
| Program or draw | NOC 83101 |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | Counts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) |
| Canadian Experience Class | Counts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | A listed skilled trade |
| Occupation category draws (2026) | Not on any occupation list |
| French-language proficiency (category draw) | Open to any occupation with NCLC 7 in French |
Read how TEER categories work and the full list of NOC codes in each 2026 category draw. Category draws also need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in one listed occupation within the past 3 years.
How much does NOC 83101 pay?
Job Bank wages for this occupation, per hour. Low and high are, in most cases, the 10th and 90th percentiles, so 8 in 10 workers earn somewhere between them.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $26.37 | $47.12 | $70.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $28.75 | $35.00 | $60.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $22.16 | $36.81 | $71.84 |
| New Brunswick | $21.87 | $34.73 | $52.36 |
| Ontario | $21.00 | $34.34 | $44.00 |
| Manitoba | $32.00 | $35.77 | $52.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $34.50 | $42.00 | $57.00 |
| Alberta | $25.00 | $48.50 | $70.00 |
| British Columbia | $25.00 | $43.00 | $70.97 |
Source: Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025), data from 2023-2024 (Labour Force Survey). Wages for job offers in LMIA and provincial programs are compared with these figures, so check the current numbers on Job Bank before you rely on them.
Using NOC 83101 duties on your resume
Canadian resumes do not list NOC codes. Employers read your job titles, what you did and what came of it. The NOC duties are still a useful checklist: if you did these tasks, say so in your own words and add the numbers that prove it.
For Express Entry, the reference letter from your employer should describe the duties you really performed, in line with this lead statement and most of the main duties, without copying the NOC text word for word. The free reference letter generator checks your duties against NOC 83101 as you write.
- Start each bullet with a strong verb and end it with a result: how many, how often, how fast.
- Use the job title your employer used, even if the NOC title is different.
- Keep immigration details such as your NOC code and permit type off the resume.
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Where this information comes from
Occupation codes, titles and descriptions are adapted from Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Wages come from Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Express Entry rules come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): the program pages for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the category-based selection page as modified on June 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for a assistant driller - oil and gas well drilling?
NOC 83101, Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers, a TEER 3 occupation in NOC 2021.
What TEER is NOC 83101?
TEER 3. Usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.
Is NOC 83101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes. As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, and it is also a listed Federal Skilled Trades occupation. You still have to meet every other requirement, and your duties must match the NOC description.
Is NOC 83101 in an Express Entry category-based draw?
No. It is not on any 2026 occupation list. The French-language proficiency category is open to any occupation if you reach NCLC 7 in French. See every category.
How much does NOC 83101 pay in Canada?
The Job Bank median across Canada is $47.12 an hour, with most wages between $26.37 and $70.00. Pay varies by province: see the table above.
Where is the official description?
On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 83101 in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This page shows the same text, from the open data Statistics Canada publishes.
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More on NOC codes and Canadian resumes
- NOC Code Finder: Describe your duties and get your NOC 2021 code, TEER and Express Entry eligibility. Free.
- NOC Codes Canada: Full List: All 516 NOC 2021 codes with their TEER, duties and wages.
- TEER Categories Explained: What TEER 0 to 5 means, which count for Express Entry, and every job in each one.
- Express Entry Category Draws: NOC Codes: Every NOC code on the 2026 healthcare, STEM, trades, education and other lists.
- Canadian Resume Examples by Job: Real examples for cashiers, caregivers, trades, tech, students and more.
- Newcomer Resume Guide: Turn international experience into a resume Canadian employers understand.