Offshore drilling worker jobs

Forbes, Yahoo!, and other business journals have named offshore drilling as one of the finest occupations that can be obtained without having to have a college degree on a number of occasions. This should not come as a surprise to anybody who is knowledgeable with oil drilling in offshore locations. Offshore drilling (and becoming an offshore driller) has few barriers to entry, pays far above the average for similar work offered to job seekers without a degree, and workers in this industry typically work only half of the calendar year, rotating on and off over 12-hour shifts that last between two and four weeks. Offshore drilling is a lucrative field for job seekers without a degree and has few barriers to entry.

This is not to imply that working in offshore drilling is the greatest choice for someone who is searching for a profession that pays well and has the opportunity to expand significantly. Working in offshore drilling is one of the most hazardous occupations in the world. It is also one of the most physically demanding, stressful, and lonely jobs in the world. Working in offshore drilling is akin to working in a nuclear submarine or in the International Space Station. Except more risky.

If, on the other hand, you believe that you have what it takes to succeed in the harsh but very rewarding world of offshore drilling, then the following information on how to become an offshore driller should be helpful to you.

1. Complete your high school education or get your GED.

To work as a driller offshore, you will need to have a fundamental education. The first stage is the one that less people do, but in order to take it, you need to have at least completed high school or received a GED. Even if you are the brightest student in the class, if you don't have a diploma or the grades necessary to pass, no one will believe you no matter how intelligent you are. In addition to demonstrating intellect, graduating from high school demonstrates a fundamental degree of accountability, which is a trait that businesses want in all of their employees.

2. Gain experience by serving as an apprentice on a land rig.

Some individuals involved in offshore drilling will advise you to attempt to jump into the sea as soon as possible. This is not impossible, but it will be much more challenging if you do not have any contacts. Even if you don't need any previous experience to work as a roustabout on an offshore rig, you shouldn't mislead yourself about the fact that having expertise in a related field will always help you be hired.

It is a terrific approach to set yourself apart from the competition to spend a year or two working as an apprentice on a land rig since there are more employment opportunities there. Because there is such a great demand for work in offshore drilling, you should not fool yourself into thinking that you will be able to get started without putting in substantial effort and creating relationships.

3. Become a roustabout for the company.

If you have the good fortune to leap right from step 1 to step 3, you should be prepared for a challenging journey ahead. Even though previous experience or training in the drilling industry is not required to apply for the position of roustabout, having previous experience does help prepare you for the harsh realities of living for weeks at a time on a dirty, dangerous rig with very little variety and an endless amount of water all around you.

Roustabouts are similar to other types of apprentices in that they are expected to do tasks such as painting the deck, hauling heavy equipment, and cleaning up things that no one else likes to do. That is a harsh reality to face.

On the other side, if you are able to successfully manage all of that, your starting pay may very well be $50,000. Keep in mind that this is $50,000 for working around half as many hours as most Americans do, which means that your "actual" hourly salary would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 per year if you had a full-time job.

4. Obtain the position of roughneck.

Learn not to whine so that you may make it through your time as a roustabout. to avoid becoming a bother. Learn how to learn, as well as how to do your work effectively. Even though you're simply an entry-level apprentice, rig managers and other managers further down the line will know whether you're up to snuff since you'll be spending a lot of time together. This is because you'll all be working closely together. In the realm of offshore drilling, first impressions are more important than in other industries, where there is greater leeway for innovation.

It isn't too difficult to get promoted to roughneck within a year, and sometimes in even less time if you're especially promising as long as you do your job well, have your head screwed on right, avoid common injuries, and make a good impression. As long as you do your job well, avoid common injuries, and make a good impression.

Roughnecks are more engaged in the drilling process than other workers, yet they are still required to do strenuous physical labor. They assist in laying down drilling pipe, working with a variety of drilling instruments, and inserting and removing drills from the hole. At this point, you may be considered an offshore driller in all practical terms!

5. Start as a pumpman and then move on to the derrickman position.

You will need one or two more years of experience working as a roughneck before you can advance to the position of pumpman, which is also known as an assistant derrickman. Again, we are unable to overstate how crucial having the correct mentality and being committed to continuous improvement can be for your professional life. You do not need to be the most skilled tool in the shed; nevertheless, you do need to be devoted to your task and eager to do it even when the weather is very unpleasant. You can go a very long way with a positive mindset.

Roughnecks have less responsibilities than assistant derrickmen, whereas full derrickmen are just one level below assistant drillers on the occupational ladder. You will be assisting drillers in directing the flow of work as part of your responsibilities as a derrickman, which is a more management function.

6. Secure an assistant driller job

After gaining experience as a derrickman, the next step up the ladder is to become an assistant driller. It's possible that 5 to 10 years have gone by this point, you'll be earning somewhere about $80,000 annually (you'll still have half the year off, giving you more time to hunt), and you'll be directly overseeing roughnecks, pumpmen, and derrickmen. You are the rig manager's right hand man, and you assist him in supervising the drill's day-to-day activities. Because this is not a simple job, becoming a driller is reserved for the most intelligent and hard-working apprentices who have completed their training.

7. Aim for the position of rig manager or consider returning to school.

A significant number of offshore drillers begin their careers as assistant drillers. But there is no need for it to be the situation. You need to have a respectable sum of money stashed away by now, and at this point, you have two significant choices in front of you. You have the option of continuing along the route of drilling, or you may return to school and get a graduate degree in geology, engineering, or business — anything that will make you a more desirable candidate for employment with oil and gas businesses.

Consider what will happen in the years to come. When you become older, doing work that is more rigorous and physically exhausting becomes an increasingly difficult challenge. It is important to bear in mind that rig managers may easily earn more than $100,000 per year, with the typical salary being over $150,000, according to Glassdoor. Geologists who work for oil and gas companies bring home a comparable compensation, but they conduct their job in more comfortable conditions.