Diamond Driller: Jobs, Pay and Pathway

Independent guide. Tickets come from registered training providers, and every site and employer sets its own requirements and inductions. The job ad and the national qualification are the authority on what a role needs.

What diamond drilling is

Diamond (core) drilling uses a rotating diamond bit that cuts a solid column of rock. As EarthSci.org describes it, the core moves up into a core tube, which is winched to the surface after each run. Geologists can log structure such as bedding, foliation, faults and veins from the core, and record how much of each drilled interval was recovered. A diamond driller operates the rig that produces that core.

That is the plain-English job. The detail of any one role, such as depth, rig type and whether it is surface or underground, comes from the employer. We have not found a published source that standardises it, so read each ad.

Diamond core vs RC drilling

Exploration drillers usually meet two methods. The same EarthSci page sets them out:

Diamond core: solid core for structural logging. Fractured or void zones reduce recovery. It is slower and more expensive than RC.
Reverse circulation (RC): produces rock chips, not solid core, and a cyclone slows the chips so they can be collected. It is much faster and cheaper per foot, but structural detail generally cannot be obtained without solid rock.

The national Certificate III reflects this split. It has separate “Conduct” electives for reverse circulation (RIINHB304E), conventional core drilling (RIINHB307D) and wireline core drilling (RIINHB308D), alongside surface blast hole drilling (RIIBHD301E) and others. If you want to be a diamond driller, the core drilling units are the ones to choose. We have not found a published source on how common each method is in job ads, so we do not rank them.

Offsider to driller pathway

There is no single entry route, but the national qualifications give the ladder. The Certificate II in Drilling Operations (RII20920) reflects the role of assistant drillers and includes an elective called “Assist diamond core drilling” (RIINHB208E). The Certificate III (RII31820) reflects the role of drillers who perform a broad range of skilled tasks and use some discretion and judgement in selecting equipment, services and contingency measures. Both list nil entry requirements.

In practice, that means: get a first start as an offsider or trainee (see our drillers offsider guide), build hours on the rig, and complete the Certificate III, often as a traineeship. WA Jobs and Skills calls the Certificate III “the industry standard qualification requirement for drillers” in Australia’s resources sector, lists it under low fee training, and names one private provider in Perth that runs it as a traineeship. It says the course is not currently available at any WA TAFE college. Courses and places change, so check before planning around one.

Experience still counts. The one advertised diamond driller role we read asked for 2 or more years’ experience as a surface driller plus a Cert III or above, and one example does not define the market. The sensible read is that the Certificate III is the paperwork and the hours on the rig are what get you hired as the person running it.

Qualifications and tickets

The Certificate III is 13 units: 8 core and 5 elective, with at least one elective from the “Conduct” group. Its core units cover maintaining workplace safety, setting up and preparing for drilling operations, running on-site operations, risk management and operational maintenance. It states that no licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to the qualification, which is a statement about the qualification, not about job ads.

Employers add their own list. The diamond driller ad we read asked for a current HR driver’s licence, a recent National Police Clearance suitable for a gold mine, and a pre-employment medical and drug and alcohol screen. For general site tickets, our directory covers the white card, first aid, working at heights, confined space and dogging. Get the ones an ad lists, and use the Mine Ready Plan to order them.

On industry bodies: the Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA) lists short courses such as calculations, mud techniques and screens and gravel pack. We did not find them named as a requirement for diamond driller jobs.

FIFO rosters

We could not find a published source for a typical diamond driller roster. The one advertised exploration role we read, in the WA Goldfields, listed an 8:6 night shift and day shift FIFO roster from Perth, with an option for drive-in drive-out from Kalgoorlie. That is an example of one employer’s pattern. Rosters differ by employer, site and commodity, so confirm the roster, flights, camp and gear supplied before you accept. Our FIFO explainer and roster calculator help you compare patterns.

Where the work is

Diamond drilling is mostly tied to exploration spending, which swings with commodity prices and investor appetite. The ABS reports national mineral exploration expenditure of $1,142.9 million in the June 2026 quarter (seasonally adjusted), up 3.9 per cent on the March quarter. Exploration spend covers more than drilling, so it is a guide to activity, not a job count.

By state, the WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration reports a record $2.7 billion of mineral exploration spend in WA in 2025, 68 per cent of the national total, against a longer-term average of 63 per cent. That makes WA, including the Goldfields and the Pilbara, the biggest market. See our WA, Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia guides for each state. We did not find a sourced breakdown of diamond drilling jobs by state, so use live ads to see what is open.

Diamond driller pay

There is no published pay figure for diamond drillers alone. Two sources cover drillers in general:

SEEK’s Driller salary page shows a Mining, Resources and Energy average of $115,731 across 1,813 openings. SEEK says figures come from salary ranges employers disclosed in job ads, and some include super and benefits. Its job listings include blast hole, diamond and sonic drilling, so it is not diamond-only.
Indeed Australia shows an average base salary of $51.58 an hour for drillers, from 151 reported salaries based on postings from the past 36 months, updated 2 October 2026.

The diamond driller ad we read stated “competitive salary + super + 10% bonus” with no base figure, which is common. Pay varies with employer, rig type, remoteness and roster. Our driller offsider salary page shows the entry level and the Award floor, and the salaries hub covers other roles.

What we could not source

We left out typical diamond driller rosters, Award classification and rates for the role, per-state job counts for Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia, and any employer-specific ticket list. We also could not confirm the Australian Drilling Industry Training Committee’s current offering on a page we could read, so we do not describe it. Ask your recruiter, check the job ad and confirm course details with a registered training organisation. For the wider tickets picture see all tickets.

Frequently asked questions

How do I become a diamond driller?

The usual route is to start as a drillers offsider or trainee, learn on the rig, and work towards the national Certificate III in Drilling Operations (RII31820), which describes the role of drillers. It lists conventional core drilling and wireline core drilling among its elective units. Employers also want rig experience: one advertised diamond driller role asked for 2 or more years as a surface driller plus a Cert III or above.

What does a diamond driller earn in Australia?

We could not find a published figure for diamond drillers alone. SEEK's Driller page, built from salary ranges in job ads, shows a Mining, Resources and Energy average of $115,731 across 1,813 openings, and that category covers several drilling methods. Indeed shows $51.58 an hour for drillers generally, from 151 reported salaries, updated 2 October 2026. Treat both as a guide to ads, not a promise.

What is the difference between diamond drilling and RC drilling?

Per EarthSci.org, diamond drilling cuts a solid column of rock (core) that geologists can log for structure, but it is slower and more expensive. Reverse circulation drilling produces rock chips instead of solid core, is much faster and cheaper per foot, and generally cannot give the structural detail that solid core does.

Do I need a ticket to work as a diamond driller?

The Certificate III states that no licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to the qualification, and lists nil entry requirements. Employers set their own list. The one ad we read asked for a Cert III or above, a current HR driver's licence, a police clearance and a pre-employment medical and drug and alcohol screen. Read each ad.

What roster do diamond drillers work?

Rosters vary by employer. The one advertised exploration role we read listed an 8:6 night shift and day shift FIFO roster from Perth, with a drive-in drive-out option from Kalgoorlie. One ad is an example, not a standard. Compare patterns with our roster calculator.

Where are diamond drilling jobs?

Exploration is spread across the country, with Western Australia the largest. The WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration reports a record $2.7 billion of mineral exploration spend in WA in 2025, 68 per cent of the national total. We did not find sourced per-state drilling job counts for Queensland, the Northern Territory or South Australia, so check live ads.

Is there a Drilling Industry Association qualification I need?

The Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA) lists short courses on its training page, such as calculations, mud techniques and screens and gravel pack. We did not find an ADIA course listed as a requirement for diamond drilling jobs. The nationally recognised qualification employers name in ads is the RII Certificate III, delivered by registered training organisations.

Sources

Last updated 13 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.

All figures and course details come from the pages above, read on 13 October 2026, and may change. The pay figures describe drillers in general, not diamond drillers alone. We could not find a published source for typical diamond driller rosters, Award rates for the role, or per-state job counts, so this guide does not state them. MiningReady is independent and not affiliated with any drilling contractor, training provider, industry body or government body.

Diamond Driller: Jobs, Pay and How to Become One