One of the most lucrative and high paying careers in the world is a career in oil and gas production. This is because the oil and gas production sector is well-established and has more job opportunities.
As the world improves, so does the impact of the oil and gas industry, as most of the technological equipment used in power is powered by energy derived from oil products.
According to global statistics, most of the world’s largest oil-producing countries are from Asia, with some from Europe and Africa.
The record shows that oil and gas account for the most significant proportion of global energy consumption, accounting for approximately 32% of total energy consumption in Europe and Asia. It accounts for about 40% of North America’s energy and 41% in Africa.
Energy consumption is approximately 44% in the South and 53% in the Middle East.
The oil industry coexists with other areas such as finance, economics, and many engineering tasks performed by qualified personnel. To work in this field, you’ll have to go through a series of steps, primarily qualification-based.
Afterward, you look out for the best job opportunities that pay well. To help you with that, we have made a comprehensive list of the best-paying oil and gas production jobs you can build a long-lasting career around.
Table of contents
What do Careers in the Oil Industry Entail?
People who operate in various capacities, such as gathering, refining, transporting, or selling crude oil, petroleum, or natural gas, are typically employed in the oil field.
To build a career in the oil and gas production industry, you must be interested in mechanics, engineering, natural science, chemistry, or business administration.
And you can work as an upstream, midstream, or downstream employee.
As an upstream, you will work on finding a site of crude oil production and its location. When you are working at the midstream level, you research the best way of moving crude oil from one location to another.
Then as a downstream employee, you will be working with the marketing team on how to market the crude oil products.
Read Also: 10 Highest Paying Jobs In The World
What is the Pay for Working in the Oil Fields?
The average income is one of the most crucial factors to consider, whether you’re looking for the best-paid jobs in oil and gas production or the best-paying jobs in natural gas distribution.
According to sources, the pay for working in an oil field is substantial, especially if you are an expert.
For instance, experienced petroleum engineers who work in the oil fields typically earn six-figure incomes.
Why is an Oil and Gas Production Job a Suitable Career Pathway?
Although it is commonly known that those who work in the oil and gas industry make good money, most people are unconcerned about the difficulty of labor.
These high salaries result from the dangers associated with most positions in this industry and the arduous travel and suffering you must undergo while away from your loved ones.
What Qualifies One to Work in Oil and Gas Production? | Educational Requirement
The oil sector has hired more college graduates despite many working in the oil field as ordinary workers without education.
For instance, if you have a degree in the liberal arts, you might continue working in the oil sector for a lower salary than high-paid engineers.
But you can opt to major in Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Geology, Chemical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering if you want to gain a degree to enter the oil and gas industry with higher pay.
What to Gain from Working in the Oil and Gas Industry?
Working in the oil and gas business has many benefits. Since you frequently travel, if working while you do it is your ambition, this sector can help you realize it.
The pay for almost all employees in the oil business is good, though the precise amount you receive will depend on how much time you spend away from home.
What are the Drawbacks to Working in the Oil and Gas Sector?
As you’ve seen, this position is ideal for those who enjoy traveling frequently, but one drawback is that extended drilling tours at sea can become highly melancholy.
Although most oil industry occupations pay well, several dangerous scenarios could endanger your life and health, including fires, explosions, chemical inhalation, accidents involving drilling or refining equipment, slips and falls, and numerous other dangers.
15 Best-Paying Oil and Gas Production Jobs
Here are the well-paying oil and gas production jobs you can opt for in 2023:
- Operator for Lease-Purchase
- Vessel Manager
- Well Testers
- Chemical Engineers
- Plant Operator for Gas
- HR consultant
- Representative of Sales
- Oil and Gas Geologists
- Drilling engineers
- Crude Oil Drivers
- Managers of Executive Accounts
- Operator Directors
- Technical Directors
- Subsea Engineer
- Completions Engineer
1. Operator for Lease-Purchase
Average Salary: $101,625
Due to their vast salaries, lease purchase operators are the most significant individuals in the oil and gas sector.
These middlemen are to ensure the security of oil and gas as they are moved from the drilling site to the processing facilities, then to the commercial stations where they are stored and sold.
They check and monitor the conveying vehicles for any flaws or damage that would prevent the safe transfer of petroleum products. They also contain the drilling equipment and could even take it to be fixed.
To work as a lease purchase operator, you must have advanced mechanical expertise and a bachelor’s degree or a high school diploma.
2. Vessel Manager
Average Salary: $72,125
Vessel Manager is among the oil and gas production professionals earning high in the sector.
These professionals have years of experience working in the oil and gas sector. Their primary role involves instructing crew members and overseeing drilling engineers.
They also manage and assure the safety of offshore drilling to ensure flawless drilling.
To be eligible for this position, you must have completed fleet management training courses and at least a bachelor’s degree in nautical science.
3. Well Testers
Average Salary: $44,061
Well-testers access and examine oil wells to guarantee their safety and balance before, during, and after work.
Using surface and subsurface tools, they also evaluate and perform oil pipeline activities to predict stability and risk levels during development.
Furthermore, they are to monitor and analyze the oil industry’s safety using the equipment. This role requires onsite instruction and a diploma, certificate, or GED.
4. Chemical Engineers
Average Salary: $63,844
One of the highest-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry is chemical engineering.
They are to determine the kinds and quantities of chemicals used to turn oil products into usable commodities for the industry.
Chemical engineers work with other qualified engineers to create all the additives added to crude oil and petroleum products to turn them into usable materials.
You must have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a closely related discipline to get this oil and gas job.
Read Also: 10 Best Answers To “Why Are You Looking For a New Job?” Question in an Interview.
5. Plant Operator for Gas
Average Salary: $41,541
Gas operators have some of the highest salaries in the oil and labor markets.
These professionals distribute gas to businesses that use it through compressors with constant pressure.
Additionally, they are to use semi-automatic machinery and control boards to distribute gas to industrial units.
To apply for this role, you need at least a high school diploma to be certified to work as a gas operator.
6. HR consultant
Average Salary: $72,174
The fundamental goal of the HR consultants’ work in the oil business is to build positive relationships by resolving and supervising tasks between the management and the workforce.
Additionally, they carry out employee investigations, settle disputes, and update business regulations. You must have an undergraduate degree in human resources or a related discipline to get this job.
7. Representative of Sales
The sales agents are among the highest-paid employees in the oil and gas sector. The completed petroleum products must be sold to wholesalers and retailers, respectively.
Employees in this field must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant or related field. Their total yearly compensation comes to roughly $65,196.
8. Oil and Gas Geologists
Average Salary: $70,578
Geologists in oil and gas companies are among the personnel that earns a fat salary in the petroleum sector.
Oil and gas geologists’ primary role is to deposit and select the drilling technique based on the area’s geology.
They also conduct oil and refinery research using a variety of drilling apparatus and equipment.
This job is among the paying jobs in energy that requires you to have at least an undergraduate degree in geoscience.
9. Drilling engineers
Average Salary: $75,770
The next job we cannot fail to mention is the drilling engineer’s job. This is one of the best-paying oil and gas production jobs that engineers in the field will enjoy.
As a drilling engineer, your sole responsibility is to handle drilling procedures from the beginning to the end.
All you need for this role is a bachelor’s degree in the relevant discipline and a state-issued certification.
10. Crude Oil Drivers
Average Salary: $76,874
Crude oil drivers are another group of people that earn very high salaries in oil and gas production companies. They earn well because of the high hazards involved in their roles.
The primary role of these drivers is to deliver raw oil or finished products to stations. Aside from delivering to stations, they also supply retailers for commercial use.
One good thing about this job is that it doesn’t require an advanced degree. You can get the job with just a high school degree or GED. Another essential requirement is that you must have previous commercial driving experience.
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11. Managers of Executive Accounts
Average Salary: $77,099
Next on our list of the highest-paying oil and gas jobs is the Manager of Executive Accounts role.
In a company, the primary role of managers of executive accounts is to handle the planning and account management of the company.
They are also responsible for carrying out target sales and preserving the company’s brand through relationships with clients and customers.
To qualify for this role, it’s expedient you get a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business management, or a similar discipline.
12. Operator Directors
Average Salary: $92,542.
Operations directors are among the most vital industry professionals in the oil and gas sector. The operations directors are the ones who make crucial decisions in the organization.
Basically, the operations director carries out all necessary planning for the business, including budgeting, sales, and negotiations.
Working as an operations director is one of the bachelor’s degrees in business administration jobs that pays well.
13. Technical Directors
Average Salary: $100,323
The next high-paying oil and gas production job most people n this field opt for is that of a technical director.
The technical directors majorly manage project managers, drilling teams, and other engineers in the organization.
Also, they are responsible for creating strategies, proposals, and briefings for business meetings.
You must have at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely related discipline to be eligible.
14. Subsea Engineer
Average Salary: $100,000
Next on our list of best paying oil and gas production jobs is Subsea Engineers. A subsea engineer is responsible for designing and developing equipment and components for offshore and sub-sea environments.
As a subsea engineer, you may design structures for issues such as low temperatures, high pressure, corrosion, and aquatic life.
Given the hazardous environment, this job necessitates the ability to design structures so divers can repair them without endangering the rest of the system.
To apply for this job, you need expert skills to help you inspect work sites in person, collect data about the area, and provide customized solutions for subsea engineering needs.
15. Completions Engineer
Annual salary: $101,000
Finally, on our list of the best paying oil and gas production jobs is Completion Engineer. A completion engineer’s position in the oil and gas industry is to complete an exemplary assembly after the drilling and lining have been completed.
Your responsibilities in this job will be to monitor the well, identify any structural or geologic issues that may complicate the completion process, and plan the installation of the remaining equipment to facilitate oil pumping.
You will also work on analyzing, testing, and recording good features. These features include pressure and temperature, and then the system design deals with the unique conditions of different wells.
Conclusion
The best-paying oil and gas production jobs are those in management and engineering.
With the right experience and qualifications, these positions can offer six-figure salaries.
So, if you want to make a good living in the oil and gas industry, consider pursuing a management or engineering position.
Read Also: 15 Best Jobs In Japan For Foreigners In 2023
FAQs
In a traditional sense, the highest-paying job in the world holds the number one spot in this article: anesthesiologist.
Some of the highest-earning oil and gas companies are:
BP – $180bn
ExxonMobil – $179bn
TotalEnergies – $120bn
Chevron – $94bn
Gazprom – $85bn
Marathon – $70bn
ExxonMobil is the largest United States-based oil and gas producing company.
Reference
- Izood.net – Best Paying jobs in oil- gas production
- Indeed.com – High paying oil field jobs
- Ziprecruiter.com – Highest Paying Oil and Gas Jobs
- Atlanticride.com – 15 highest paying jobs in oil gas production
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