About to get out of military, looking for job advice... (West: salary, live)

[dommo2007]

I am about to get out of the Army. I was all set to start a Private Security contract overseas, untill the sequestration halted that idea. So know i'm back to the drawing board, and I have had several friends who suggest looking for work on the rigs. The problem is that the advice as far as salary and how to get hired is all over the place.

Bottom line is this: I don't at all mind hard work as long as the pay is good. What is a realistic estimate for entry level work on the off shore rigs? I'm hearing in the upwards of $100k for 2-on/2-off sort of scheducle. Is this anywhere near realistic? Also, tell me about promotion. I have zero experience in the O&G industry, but it sounds like there is a lot of room for promotion, I definitely have the necessary leadership experience, just missing the job knowledge/certification.

When I look at sites like rigzone, all I see are positions for people with far more diect experience than me. How do I get my foot in the door, especially being that I am currently stationed in GA, so I can't just walk down to the office. If anyone has any first hand advice, it would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks.

[chris_ut]

I haven't worked on rigs but I know people who have. I'm pretty sure you need a couple years experience before you can make 100k there but it is certainly doable once you get your foot in the door. If you don't know anyone in the business who can refer you it is tough to break into O&G. Look at the companies posting for those more experienced positions and call them and ask if they are willing to take on someone entry level you never know.

[westhou]

Maybe this could help:

Veterans' Services - Program Overview - Texas Workforce Commission

[newlymarried]

I've never worked on the rigs either, but I've worked in oil. I think making six figures is mainly for people with specialized skills -- mud engineers, company men, etc. Roustabout (the entry level) is hard work, but it sounds like you're in good condition and could handle it. I'm guesstimating (so I may be way off), but I would think $15/hr might be a reasonable starting pay for someone with no experience.

I'm not sure about offshore work, but it seems logical to me that they would want experienced people out there. The stakes are a lot higher, both in terms of money and lives (as Deepwater Horizon proved). Also, I don't know about every rig company, but at the ones I worked at, offshore work was more commonly a 4 week/4 week or 5 week/5 week schedule.

You might start checking for land rig jobs. That might be an easier entry point. North Dakota is getting a lot of press. Parts of West Texas are doing well. I think they're more likely to give you a 2/2 schedule.

If you can work your way up, it sounds like you also might be a candidate for international work. They can usually hire locals for the low level work like roustabout, but the management people are often Americans. If you're willing to work in rough areas (Nigeria, undesirable parts of the Middle East, secluded areas of Russia, etc) and keep the 4/4 or 5/5 schedule, you can make decent money on a rig (combined with hazard pay/tough duty pay/etc).