The Best Offshore Oil Jobs in 2016

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As the job market in the United States continues to strengthen, the oil and gas industry has seen an increasing demand for a variety of jobs. Offering excellent salaries as well as opportunities for advancement, these jobs can be extremely demanding physically and mentally. Along with working in isolated areas, the jobs can also be hazardous and require working seven days a week in addition to being on call. However, for people who have a strong desire to work in this field, 2016 offers some fantastic opportunities.

Rig Electrician

Responsible for installing and maintaining the electrical equipment on a rig, these electricians often work in areas that are dark, cramped, and hot. Working on pumps, electrical panels, heavy equipment, and more, these workers need to be skilled in a number of areas. Licensing and certification is required, often at the master or journeyman levels, with most rig electricians being at the master level. Salaries for these jobs are considered very good, with the average annual salary approaching $88,000.

Completion Workers

These employees, considered to be the troubleshooters of the oil and gas industry, play an important role when problems arise with an active well. Whether it’s a pipe that has collapsed due to age or stress, or a pipeline that needs to be fitted with wider pipes to make production easier, these workers are crucial to ensuring oil production is halted for as little time as possible. Working under the supervision of a completion engineer, they are paid quite well for their services. Average annual salaries exceed $133,000, making these jobs some of the most sought-after in terms of worldwide recruitment.

Drilling Consultants

In charge of overseeing the daily operations of an offshore oil rig, drilling consultants make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Duties in this job include ordering supplies and equipment, maintaining the correct number of workers needed to keep the rig operating efficiently, providing status reports to management when needed, ensuring safety procedures are up-to-date and are being implemented, and much more. Responsible for maximizing rig production, drilling consultants are under tremendous pressure to perform at high levels each day. Salaries for these jobs are some of the best in the industry, with many consultants earning well over $300,000 per year.

Tanker Captain

Piloting the ships that haul oil and gas from the offshore rigs to shore, tanker captains must always make safety their top priority. Navigating changing weather conditions, shipwrecks, mechanical issues, and more, captains must always ensure their cargo and crew reach port safely. Once in port, tanker captains are then responsible for overseeing the cargo’s unloading, as well as filing the necessary paperwork. As many captains retire, the demand for these jobs has greatly increased in recent years. With salaries approaching $125,000 annually, numerous positions are currently available.

As more of these positions become available in 2016, it’s clear the oil and gas industry will have many new applicants looking to establish themselves in these and other related careers.