When people think of someone working the the oil and gas business, they usually think of a man. True, it is now and always has been a man's world, but you may be surprised to find that more and more oil and gas jobs are now going to women, this according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 



In the first quarter of 2013, statistics show that almost half, or 46 percent, of all new jobs went to women. While women are still earning less than their male counterparts, and not too fast to rise within a company, oil and gas companies are recruiting them straight out of college at a faster rate than ever before.

While the percentages are high, the overall number of jobs is still low and it's just too early to know if this is a one-off anomaly or a real trend. Still, since the Bureau began tracking these statistics back in 1991, there has never before been a year when women scored above 1/3 of new hires. Recent data shows that the oil industry is still 80 percent male dominated.

Brain or brawn

While its true that there are women working the hardest most physical jobs out on the rigs, most are looking for more administrative positions like geologists, petroleum engineers, and technicians. While some might think these are more suited for women, the truth is that these are the highest paying jobs in the industry and the smart route if you ask anyone.

The oil industry right now faces its biggest shortage of workers in 50 years, so hiring women only makes sense. In the 1980s and 90s it was quite simply hard to hire many women because companies weren't doing much hiring at all. Now, with people needed in all capacities, it seems the time is right for women to make their stand. High salaries only make the jobs that much better.

One woman cashing in

One great example of women cashing in on the latest oil boom is Amanda Kieson of North Dakota. The 33-year-old mother says she opened a drug testing facility just three years ago and business is booming.
“I love my business, which is weird because, you know, with what we actually have to put up with,” says Kieson, owner of Badlands Occupational Testing Services in Watford City. “We are busy all the time.”

According to Kieson, women are needed in every aspect of the booming economy in North Dakota. Men may still dominate the physical labor jobs, but women are picking up the slack and cashing in while they do it.

Women are getting in on petroleum engineering jobs

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by Philip Loyd, Brown Editor