72501
Canada Good

Water well drillers

Water well drillers operate a variety of mobile water well drilling rigs and equipment to drill and monitor residential, commercial and industrial water wells. They are employed by water well drilling contractors and governments, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Employment Outlooks

Economic Region Outlooks

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Choose up to 3 regions to see employment outlooks. This occupation has data for 72 economic regions.

Salary Information

National wage data for this occupation
Entry-level
CA$21.60
/hr
Typical
CA$30.00
/hr
Experienced
CA$41.92
/hr

Average: CA$30.97/hr

Source: Job Bank Canada. Wages may vary by region and experience.

Examples

Illustrative Examples
  • cable tool driller - water well drilling
  • churn drill operator - water well drilling
  • water well driller
  • water well driller apprentice
All Examples
  • apprentice water well driller
  • cable tool driller - water well drilling
  • churn drill operator - water well drilling
  • journeyman/woman water well driller
  • water well driller
  • water well driller apprentice
  • water well driller journeyman/woman
  • water well drilling technician

Main Duties

Main Duties
  • May provide other drilling services, such as repair or dismantling of existing water well structure, elevator shaft drilling and hydro pole drilling.
  • This group performs some or all of the following duties:
  • Review client requirements and proposed locations for water wells
  • Operate water well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore and dig for residential, commercial and industrial water wells or environmental assessment, and install well screens, casings and other well fixtures
  • Document geological formations encountered
  • Clean and disinfect wells in preparation for use
  • Perform routine mechanical maintenance work on water well drilling rigs and equipment
  • Install, test, maintain and repair water well pumps, piping systems and equipment and perform pumping tests to assess well performance
  • Water well drillers may specialize in a specific method of drilling, such as cable, rotary, auger, hammer or reverse circulation drilling.

Requirements

Employment Requirements
  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of a two- to three-year water well drilling apprenticeship program or Two to three years of work experience in the trade combined with college or industry courses in water well drilling is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
  • Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

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Data from Statistics Canada (NOC 2021), ESDC Labour Market Information, and Job Bank Canada