Assistant Driller Jobs
Assistant Driller jobs are open across oil and gas, geotechnical drilling, and water well construction, with specializations in rotary, directional, and percussion drilling, from entry-level roughneck-to-AD transitions through senior assistant driller and lead crew roles. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 19+ Assistant Driller jobs
About Riverside
Since 1978, Riverside has been one of the premier maintenance and repair facilities in the Northwest and the largest in Idaho. We provide machining, welding and fabrication, pump and electric motor repair and service, generator and turbine service, vibration analysis and thermography, and well drilling services to customers throughout Idaho and beyond.
Position Summary
Riverside is seeking a motivated and dependable CDL Class A Driver / Driller Helper to join our Well Drilling team. This position combines commercial driving responsibilities with hands-on field work supporting well drilling operations. The ideal candidate will safely transport equipment, materials, and personnel to job sites throughout Idaho and neighboring states while assisting drilling crews with daily operations.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a Class A CDL who is interested in building a career in the well drilling industry. Prior drilling experience is not required—we are willing to train the right candidate. In addition to supporting the drilling department, this individual may assist other Riverside departments when CDL driving support is needed.
Schedule
- Typical schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Occasional Saturdays as needed
- Start and end times may vary depending on weather conditions, project needs, and travel requirements
- Overnight and multi-state travel may be required
Essential Responsibilities
- Safely operate commercial vehicles and equipment while maintaining compliance with DOT regulations, company policies, and safety standards
- Transport drilling equipment, materials, tools, and personnel to project sites throughout Idaho and neighboring states
- Assist well drilling crews with setup, operation, and breakdown of drilling equipment and job sites
- Load, unload, and secure equipment and materials for transport
- Support excavation, site preparation, utility locating, and other field activities as needed
- Conduct pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections and maintain required driving documentation
- Perform routine maintenance and basic troubleshooting on trucks, trailers, and drilling equipment
- Follow all safety procedures and participate in maintaining a safe work environment
- Collaborate with field crews and other departments to ensure projects are completed efficiently and safely
- Provide CDL driving support to other Riverside departments when business needs require
Qualifications
- Valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
- Clean driving record and ability to operate commercial vehicles safely
- Ability and willingness to travel across multiple states when required
- Mechanical aptitude and the ability to learn drilling equipment operation and maintenance
- Experience operating heavy equipment is preferred but not required
- Knowledge of construction, excavation, utility work, or drilling operations is a plus
- Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions
- Strong work ethic, reliability, and commitment to safety
- Ability to follow instructions and work effectively as part of a team
- Physical ability to perform manual labor, lift materials, and work around heavy equipment
- Must pass a DOT Commercial Driver FMCSA DOT 5-Panel Drug-Screen (Class A & B CDL, large trucks, hazardous materials, transport of groups of people)
Preferred Experience
- Commercial truck driving experience
- Experience with heavy equipment such as excavators, loaders, backhoes, dozers, water trucks, or drilling rigs
- Knowledge of equipment inspections, preventative maintenance, and basic repairs
- Familiarity with construction site operations, excavation, grading, or utility locating
Why Join Riverside?
We invest in our employees, provide training opportunities, and offer a supportive team environment where safety, quality, and professional growth are valued.
If you have a Class A CDL and are ready to expand your skills while working on challenging and rewarding projects, we encourage you to apply.
Pay: $26.00 - $28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- What is your desired hourly wage?
Ability to Commute:
- Parma, ID 83660 (Required)
Work Location: In person
See All 19 Assistant Driller Jobs
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Find Assistant Driller JobsAssistant Driller Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in assistant driller jobs.
- Minimum 2-5 years of experience as a floorhand, motorhand, or roughneck on a drilling crew
- IADC WellSharp or IWCF well control certification at the supervisory or driller level
- Hands-on experience with rotary drilling rigs, drawworks, and top-drive systems
- Knowledge of drilling fluid properties, mud weight management, and pit volume monitoring
- Valid driver's license and ability to pass pre-employment drug and physical fitness screening
- H2S Alive or OSHA 30 construction certification, depending on the operating environment
Tips for Your Assistant Driller Job Search
Tailor your resume to rig type
Employers in directional drilling read resumes differently than those hiring for water well or geotechnical crews. List your specific rig models, mud systems, and BHA equipment by name so hiring managers can place you on the right job site immediately.
Get your well control certification current
Many assistant driller postings require IADC WellSharp or IWCF certification at the supervisory level, not the basic level. Check your certificate expiration before you apply and renew early if it lapses within six months.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists assistant driller openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Highlight your driller-in-training hours
If you're transitioning from floorhand or motorhand, document your supervised drilling hours and any formal driller-in-training program completions. Many operators require a minimum logged hour count before promoting to assistant driller, so make that number visible.
Prepare for scenario-based safety questions
Interviewers for assistant driller roles routinely ask how you handle well control events, kicked wells, or BOP malfunctions. Practice talking through your decision process step by step, referencing the kill method you'd use and who you'd notify first.
Negotiate your rotation schedule upfront
Rotation terms like 14-and-14 versus 28-and-28 affect your annual take-home and lifestyle more than base pay alone. Ask about the schedule, hitching, and per diem policy during the offer stage, before you accept and before you give notice at your current rig.
Assistant Driller Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most assistant drillers?
The companies hiring the most assistant drillers right now include Schnabel, Tetra Tech, and GHD, with the largest share of openings in Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Activity tends to track closely with active rig counts, so openings shift as operators move rigs between basins.
How many assistant driller jobs are remote?
About 0% of assistant driller openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how hands-on and site-dependent most drilling roles are. The small remote share tends to cluster around technical planning, drilling data analysis, and remote operations monitoring roles rather than traditional rig-floor assistant driller positions.
How do you become an assistant driller?
Start as a floorhand or roughneck on a drilling crew to build rig-floor fundamentals, then progress through motorhand or derrickhand roles to gain mechanical and fluid-handling experience. Complete an IADC WellSharp or IWCF supervisory-level well control certification. Log enough supervised drilling hours to satisfy your employer's driller-in-training requirements, then apply internally or externally for assistant driller openings once your hours and certification are in order.
Can you get hired as an assistant driller with little experience?
Direct hiring into an assistant driller role with no rig experience is rare, but some operators run structured driller-in-training programs that accept motivated candidates from related fields like mechanical trades or petroleum technology programs. Demonstrating hands-on equipment knowledge, completing your well control certification early, and targeting smaller independent operators or geotechnical and water well companies can shorten the path considerably compared to competing for major oil and gas assistant driller slots.
What does the assistant driller interview process look like?
Most assistant driller interviews start with a phone screen covering your rig experience, the formations you've drilled, and your well control certification status. An in-person or video interview follows with a drilling superintendent or operations manager who will walk through scenario-based safety questions, equipment troubleshooting situations, and how you manage a crew under pressure. Some operators require a background check, physical, and drug screen before a formal offer is extended.
Where can I find and apply to assistant driller jobs?
You can find and apply to assistant driller jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Search for roles that match your rig type, certification level, and preferred location, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.
See All 19 Assistant Driller Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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