Answering Your Questions About Oil Industry Work!

Q: What jobs are available in the oil and gas industry?

A: Of all the industries in the entire world the petroleum industry is about as big as they get. Therefore, there are a wide variety of employment opportunities. There are highly specialized jobs what require lots of schooling (Master's, Ph.D) such as petroleum engineering positions or jobs in the geosciences arena. Currently, there is a major shortage of workers with training in oil exploration. You don't need a college education to get into the industry, however. Look for a roughneck or roustabout job on offshore oil rigs. There are also all kinds of jobs at refineries, and with pipeline operations.

To see the many types of jobs we cover check out the Oil Job Finder site map.

Q: How much can I earn working an oil industry job?

A: In general, there is a shortage of oil industry workers. There simply aren't Oilfield Worker Photo enough engineers, people with training in the geosciences, or people willing to do the physical work required of a roughneck or rig worker. Because of this earnings and benefits can be excellent. Many people who work oil rigs average, over the course of a year, 6 months of work and 6 months of down time. Because many work locations are remote the employer provides your room and board. Most companies also offer a generous benefits package that often includes: medical and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, 401K plan, profit sharing plans, vacation time, etc. People coming out of college with undergraduate or graduate degrees appliable to the petroleum industry can receive pay exceeding $60,000 per year plus signing bonuses.

Each section of OilJobFinder discusses the types of jobs available and the earning potential.

Who's hiring? Search our Employer Directory and the Latest Job Listings when you become an OilJobFinder Member. (Starting at Only $3.95!)

Q: What are the living conditions like on an offshore oil rig?

A: While it is true that accommodations on offshore oil rigs are sometimes cramped and privacy is hard to come by, many find the experience similar to their first year in college dorm, but without the homework. Rig workers eat great food in a dining area, have a place to sleep and read, and the work schedule allows for shore time. On the rig deck it's extremely busy, noisy, and dirty.

Q: Where are most of the jobs in the oil industry?

A: Oil companies tend to be located in areas where there's lots of oil. Kind of a no-brainer. In the United States many of the 'corporate' jobs with oil companies are in Houston, Texas, Anchorage, Alaska, Alberta, Canada, and so forth. The top oil producing countries are Saudi Arabia, Canada (because of their Oil Sands), Russia, the United States, Iran, and China. In the United States most oil comes from Texas, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and New Mexico. There's a major boom in the natural gas sector in the U.S. resulting in a huge need for workers in Rocky Mountain states like Wyoming.

Oil exploration and production is pretty much a worldwide endeavor.

Q: Do I need to be a United States Citizen to use OilJobFinder get jobs in the oil industry?

A: JobSeekers from any nationality can use the employment resources on OilJobFinder. The website is written in English, so it is important that you are able to read English in able to get the most benefit out of a membership to OilJobFinder.

The oil industry is truly global in nature, and our Job Center includes company listings for multi-national companies that have operations here, there, and everywhere. Ultimately, each country has its own labor laws and visa requirements. Laws in the U.S. tend to be tougher making it harder for non-U.S. citizens to find jobs. Our website discusses what it takes to get an oil sands job in Canada. There it's best to be a Canadian citizen if you hope to land a blue-collar position whereas they often 'import' non-Canadians for specialized engineering and science oriented positions. This pattern of hiring holds true in other countries as well.

OilJobFinder is a useful oil and gas employment and information resource no matter your citizenship.

Q: How do I go about finding a job on an offshore oil rig?

A: Your oil rig job search can actually start with Oil Job Finder. Using information found in our Members Section you'll learn all about the oil production (drilling) sector. Use our Job Center to search an extensive list of exploration and production companies as well as drilling contractors. You can jump right from their company profile in our Job Center to job listings, company application pages, job lines, and so forth. We provide the perfect shortcut to oil rig employment information. The good news is that once you read our oil rigs information you'll feel more confident about interviewing.

During every session of congress it seems the House and Senate discuss opening up America's coastlines or more of the gulf to more offshore drilling. It's being discussed right now! OilJobFinder is tracking the bills in congress and will let its members know when new offshore drilling job opportunities may be available.

Q: Do oil rig crew members work a lot of hours?

A: Most oil rigs are operating 7 days per week, 365 days of the year. Depending on the size of the rig there are between three and four crews working in shift rotations. Typical shifts are 8- to 12-hours in length. Crew members often go 8 hours on and twelve hours off.

Q: What kind of training regarding safety and emergency protocol will I receive?

A: Oil industry employers put employees through extensive operations and safety training to prevent accidents and environmental damage. Worker injuries and equipment damage can result in downtime, lawsuits, poor crew morale, inefficiency, and so forth. If you're hired to work on a rig or at a refinery or on a pipeline operation expect both initial and ongoing safety training. You will encounter routine emergency drills throughout your employment.

Q: Does OilJobFinder talk about the Canadian Oil Sands?

A: The oil sands have propelled Canada into the upper eschelon of oil producing countries. We talk about Canadian oil sands in great detail on OilJobFinder. You'll who the major oil sands hiring companies are and which jobs are open to non-Canadians. Also, point non-Canadians in the right direction for getting a working visa.

Q: Is it possible to find an Alaska oil job?

A: Definitely. Most people know that up to 10% of America's oil comes from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. The oil is produced -- brought out of the ground -- in the far north and transported south by the trans-Alaska pipeline to refineries and tanker ports. Soon we may see the construction of a new pipeline. The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline would run from Prudhoe Bay through Canada, ultimately connecting with existing pipelines in the midwestern U.S. This project, if it truly gets going, will be one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken. Residents from Alaska, Canadian citizens, and thousands of others will find work.

Our Job Center includes Alaskan oil company profiles you can search for current job openings. Additionally, we provide the best resources for keeping track of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline project so you can jump on opportunities if and when they're available.

Q: What is the price of a subscription to your Member Services section?

A: Subscription to the Member Services section is very reasonable. We charge $12.95 for 30 days; $29.95 for 90 days and just $49.95 for a full year. We also offer a special five day trial for only $3.95. We offer the trial, because we want to make our service practically risk free. We are fully convinced you will think a membership is an excellent value. If you are even remotely considering spending some time working in one of Alaska's fishing industries, a subscription to our Members Service is well worth the price.

Annual memberships expire 365 days after registration. Annual memberships do not automatically renew. Five day, 30-day and 90-day memberships do automatically renew at 30 day intervals until cancelled by the member.

When you are ready to cancel your membership, we make it very easy, simply go to our MEMBERSHIP CANCELLATION PAGE and follow the instructions.

The transaction will show up on credit card statements as "JobFinderSites.com - (866) 721-6083".

After you cancel, you can continue to use your membership until it expires. We do not refund unused portions of memberships.

Q: What if I lost or forgot my Username or Password?

A: You can retrieve lost or forgotten Usernames and Passwords by going to our Account Management Page and follows the instructions.

Q: What if I want to change my Username or Password?

A: You can also change your Usernames and Passwords by going to our Account Management Page and follows the instructions.

Q: How do I cancel my membership?

Cancellations must be done through the following links based on the method of payment you used:

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If you have trouble canceling your membership, please go to our MEMBERSHIP CANCELLATION PAGE and follow the instructions. *Please do not send a membership cancellation request by email.

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