1. Drilling Consultant - $238,000

Why are drilling consultants paid so much money? Because they have to be an expert in every field, that's why. Drilling consultants must earn at least a bachelor's degree in engineering and have anywhere from 5 to 10 years experience.  It's important to note that these top salaries usually go to the more experienced in their field, sometimes with multiple degrees.  A drilling consultant must wear many hats while in the field and will often have his master's, even a PhD.

2. Directional Driller - $192,000

Believe it or not. directional drilling is so in demand that it does not even require a college degree. While having a bachelor's in engineering or even geology certainly couldn't hurt your chances, this field of expertise needs so many workers that requirements are based more on experience than education.  While a directional driller can have as little as 3 years experience, those typically making the big salaries have 5 to 10 years or more.

3. Superintendent - $182,000

A superintendent is sometimes called a Foreman, even a Company Man.  Superintendent is a managerial position and involves the oversight of day-to-day operations.  Responsibilities include: safety, budget and maintenance, coordinating with the various contractors that work with the company. The position is a senior one which means you need 10+ years experience in the field.

4. Completion Driller - $152,000

Also known as a Workover Driller, it is the responsibility of the completion driller to set a more permanent rig once drilling has been been completed. This involves inserting  piping or tubes into the hole and setting up the infrastructure that will make for the hydraulic fracturing to come. This is a very high-skilled position and requires extensive education and training at the least, sometimes even a college degree.  

5. Reservoir Engineer - $150,000

It's the job of the reservoir engineer to estimate potential oil reserves and setup plausible models to determine the best locations and methods of recovery. Other well-paid engineering jobs include a drilling engineer ($142,664), petroleum engineer ($126,448) and mud engineer ($109,803).

Come check out all the great Drilling Books at Brown Technical Book Shop.

      

Also from Brown

If you're in the oil business then you know just how important your tools are. Come check out all the great tools at our news tools division site, BrownToolBox.com.

If you like keeping up with news and events, we invite you to come see our new oil & gas media site, BrownPetro.com.

Brown Book Shop, est. in 1946, is America's leading technical bookstore.  Brown Knows Books.

by Philip Loyd, Brown Editor

Back to Blog Main Page