Employment Spot

Offshore Work

If you are searching for offshore work, the petroleum industry is the place to look.  There is a high demand for offshore oil work, yet the supply of workers is not meeting this need.  This is good news for individuals interested in offshore work because it means that there are plenty of offshore oil jobs available.  In fact, there are over 900 offshore rigs in the world, including over 60 offshore rigs operating in the United States.  Offshore rigs typically operate 24 hours a day, and workers usually have 8- or 10-hour shifts.  Most offshore work occurs on a rotation; for example, individuals may work for 14 days and then have 21 days off work.  While time spent on the oil rig may be physically demanding, salaries are high and the weeks off allow for flexibility.  There are a variety of different opportunities for offshore jobs on offshore rigs, such as drillers, chefs and engineers.

Offshore oil jobs:

Drilling Salary Calculator

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Current Drilling Employment Opportunities

• Remote Geological Technician (RGT)
  Location: US-Regional-Southwest
  Company: Pason Systems
  Last Updated: 10/31
  Details: ...install, and maintain Pason Total Gas System (T-Gas) on active drilling rigs around the USA. To provide clients with Mudlogs and other...


• Mudlogging Geologist
  Location: US-TX-San Antonio
  Company: Canrig Drilling Technology
  Last Updated: 10/23
  Details: ...reports. Responsible for transmitting live geological data, drilling data, daily reports, and logs via satellite and myWells.com...


• View more Drilling Employment Opportunites

• Offshore drillers are responsible for drilling and extracting petroleum from the ground.  They are also in charge of making decisions on the oil rig, overseeing other crew members, maintaining equipment and enforcing safety procedures.  The average salary for this offshore drilling work is $44,000.  Rotary drill operators earn an average salary of $19.50/hr.  Drill leaders and supervisors make a higher salary that averages at $29.93/hr.
• Roughneck and Roustabout are examples of entry-level offshore work.  They are two of the most important jobs on the oil rig.  Roughnecks usually work directly with the drilling crew and equipment to assist in drilling.  Roustabouts are part of the deck crew, so they typically perform more general labor such as maintenance, cleaning and painting.  The average salary for these offshore work positions is between $33,000 and $40,000 per year.
• Engineer jobs in offshore work include petroleum engineers who design the operation and then supervise the drilling activities throughout the entirety of the project.  Other offshore engineer jobs may be available for environmental engineers, mechanical engineers and industrial engineers.
• Medical jobs are needed on offshore rigs to care for the men and women working on the oil rig.  Offshore medics must complete training courses, although it is not always necessary that they be doctors.  Salaries for this type of offshore work may be as high as $60,000 per year.
• Mechanic/Electrician offshore work on oil rigs involve repair and maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment.
• Catering staff is also needed for offshore work on oil rigs.  Chef jobs have an average salary of $39,000.  Stewards and stewardesses help out the catering staff, clean rooms and manage laundry, with an average salary of $30,000.  Dishwashers may earn as much as $700 per week in offshore jobs on oil rigs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2006, the average hourly rate for non-supervisory positions in oil and gas extraction was $21.40 an hour.  General and operations managers in the oil and gas extraction industry earn an average of $51.17 an hour.  These numbers are averages for both onshore and offshore oil work.

If you are interested in offshore work, the most important requirement is that you are in good physical condition.  You should also realize that offshore jobs require you to spend a good deal of time away from home.  Many jobs on the rigs do not require any formal education, such as for roughnecks and roustabouts.  However, if you are interested in a supervisory position, such as drill manager, some certifications are required.  Offshore engineer and medical positions will require formal training or a college education.  Many individuals start off their offshore oil work in a general labor position and then work their way up the ranks to become drilling supervisors.

Does offshore work in the petroleum industry sound like the right career for you?  Many of these offshore jobs are advertised in newspapers, especially those from cities near offshore rigs, such as Houston, Texas, or Lafayette, Louisiana.  Online job databases such as this one also have a good amount of offshore jobs available.  When searching for offshore work online, try using keywords such as “offshore,” “offshore oil,” “oil rig,” “drilling” or “offshore drilling.”  You may also look for employment opportunities directly at offshore oil companies, contractors or recruiting agencies.

Offshore Companies and Contractors for Oil Jobs:

• Atwood Oceanics, Inc.
• Dolphin Drilling
• Diamond Offshore
• Maersk Contractors
• Metzke Engineering
• Noble Corporation
• Pride International
• Prosafe
• Smedvig ASA
• Transocean Offshore

Recruiting Companies for Offshore Work:

• Lasso Energy
• NES Global
• Omega Resources
• Prodrill Engineering

Jobs at Major Oil Companies in the United States:

• BP
• Chevron
• ConocoPhillips
• ENSCO International
• Exxon Mobil
• Hess Corporation
• Marathon Oil
• Shell Oil

For more information on offshore work, offshore drilling work, and offshore oil rigs, visit CBoilandgas.com