FiFoDiDo

FiFoDiDo Editorial · 14 October 2026

Getting a FIFO jobTickets & training

How to Become a Driller

Drillers find new deposits and prepare rock for mining. Most start as an offsider with no experience. Here's how to get on a drill crew and work your way up.

Driller

Drillers run the rigs that bore into the ground. Some collect rock samples so geologists can find new deposits. Others drill blast holes in a pit or holes for production and ground support underground. It's practical work for people who like machinery and being outdoors.

At a glance

  • Where you'll work: exploration sites, open-pit mines, underground mines, oil, gas and geothermal projects.
  • Usual way in: a drilling offsider or trainee driller job.
  • Uni needed? No.
  • Time to qualify: you learn on the job; moving from offsider to driller usually takes a few years.
  • Rosters: FIFO and camp-based rosters with long shifts are common.

What the job involves

  • Exploration drilling: collecting core or chip samples for geologists.
  • Blast hole drilling: drilling patterns in an open pit before blasting.
  • Underground drilling: drilling for production, development or ground support.
  • Setting up, running and maintaining the rig.
  • Handling rods, samples and drilling fluids safely.

At school

  • Maths and physics.
  • Engineering or design and technology.
  • English.
  • Mechanical, automotive, farm or equipment maintenance experience all help.

How to qualify

You don't need a degree. Most drillers start as an offsider, also called a driller's assistant. As an offsider you learn the equipment, the procedures and life on a drill crew. Drilling courses through a training provider can help, but employers do most of the training.

A short drilling course alone won't guarantee you a job.

Your first job

Job titles to search for:

  • Drilling Offsider
  • Trainee Driller
  • Drilling Assistant
  • Exploration Field Assistant
  • Blast Hole Drilling Trainee

Offsider work is physically demanding. Read the roster, duties and fitness requirements carefully before you apply, and show you know what remote site work involves.

Tickets and training

  • First aid and CPR.
  • A driver's licence. Manual and four-wheel-drive experience help for field roles.
  • Remote area safety training.
  • Site inductions and a medical.
  • Drilling competencies and machine training, usually from your employer.

Where it can lead

Drilling Offsider → Trainee Driller → Driller → Senior Driller → Drilling Supervisor → Operations or Project Manager

Experienced drillers often specialise in exploration, blast hole or underground drilling, or in one type of rig.

What employers look for

  • Reliability and alertness.
  • Mechanical aptitude.
  • Teamwork on a small crew.
  • Following safety procedures to the letter.
  • A realistic idea of FIFO and camp life.

Is it for you?

It suits you if you like machinery, the outdoors and hard practical work, and want to build a career through experience rather than study.

Pay, rosters and jobs

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