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Yes, I'm ready to take on the challenge. I was a 4-year varsity athlete (tennis) and have the physical stature for a demanding job
No offense but there is a big difference in doing actual hard labor and playing sports.
You will need time off otherwise you are looking at burnout, health issues and accidents/injuries. Lots of construction/labor guys do long ours and no days off for a while but sooner than later they need time off due to the strenuous nature of their job.
Hey everybody I'm new to this forum, I joined because I'm looking for much-needed help and people seemed pretty educated here =).
[LEFT]Basically I'm looking for information on employment opportunities for HARD-labor jobs that offer high pay and many overtime hours. By hard-labor I mean any kind of labor, and by many hours I mean the more the better (I'm willing to work 12 hour days, 7 days a week).
I've read several posts about people who have made over $100,000 (in some cases over $200,000) in a year, their first year of working in the field. Some of these jobs included working on oil rigs, with drilling companies, etc.
ABOUT MYSELF: I'm 20 years old, fairly strong (6'4'', 240 lbs), and am looking to go "all-out" and for a year or two looking to revolve my life around this job. For past work experience, I've worked in sales, IT and Ecommerce departments and have a high-school diploma and some college credits. Perfect record, no drugs/alchohol.
To some it all up, I'm looking for the MOST PROFITABLE labor job, regardless of comfort, stress. I want to return to California with several hundred thousand dollars, and in top physical condition from the job. Any advice of where to go or who to call to get hired is very appreciated, and anyone's past labor experiences are also appreciated!
I work in the power industry (coal) and we cant get enough welders. Some larger pipe connections require over 120 man hours of welding. This is per connection mind you.
You have to be able to weld / work in all sorts of weather (freezing to 100+) while wearing your welding gear. Sometimes in cramped spaces for long periods of time, for weeks on end.
The benefit? Pay, lots and lots of pay. Most of these guys that work like a dog, retire in the 40's.
They buy a mobile home, travel from job site to job site etc. When they retire, they tend to just buy a home outright etc...
If you went to ND you could buy a cheap piece of land and put a skid mounted home on it, you might be able to get a natural gas tap as well if you plan it right. The crux of your issue like everyone else is saying is the unskilled part. I have had thoughts of ND but I would live in Minot as a chemical engineer if I were to even start looking for a job there. I work in alaska oil and gas now from anchorage and go to the slope one day a year just to shake hands and look around, would hate to work remote.
Keep in mind you only get so many high sex drive years, better to spend thoes years near women, especially if your married or have a GF. You dont get thoes years back when your 40 and buy your house out right, your still a 40 year old man. I personally like sex with my wife too much to live in a **** hole.
Keep in mind you only get so many high sex drive years, better to spend thoes years near women, especially if your married or have a GF. You dont get thoes years back when your 40 and buy your house out right, your still a 40 year old man. I personally like sex with my wife too much to live in a **** hole.
Tennis athlete? Econ computers and IT? Youve never even experienced a true day of work and you're trying to do a mans demanding job? Stick to your computers and games. And if you do decide to start a laborious job start a little softer and slower. I've work months of 6 days a week with 16 to 22 hour days. I can tell you from what you think makes you ready for this kind of job isn't going to cut it. Best of luck try a little at a time big man
Yes, I'm ready to take on the challenge. I was a 4-year varsity athlete (tennis) and have the physical stature for a demanding job
You think you're ready but your body is going to prove you wrong very quickly. Constant physical stress on your body is going to wear out joints and cause injury. I was also an athlete (baseball) and worked out every day. I worked construction for my father and within a year of working non-stop my knees and back had given out by 20 years old. You need time to let your body recouperate. If you get hurt on the job, which is likely in a physically demanding job your body won't heal correctly if you keep working.
My dad has had multiple back surgeries, 4 knee surgeries, a hip surgery (fell through a floor and tried to keep working) and is headed today to see a surgeon about his foot because he broke his toe on the job and has been working 12 hr days for over a week since he injured it and now he can't walk.
This is a common misconception that a lot of young people have with thinking they're in better shape than they are. You'll quickly learn that you will wear out a lot faster than you think. Just something to keep in mind.
My last construction job was installing seamless gutters and remodeling when it got too dark for gutters. We worked from 6am - 11pm 7 days per week. The boss didn't believe in lunch breaks either, so we worked pretty much non-stop. I made good money but after a year I was so worn out that I started getting physically ill. The doctor said my body was so physically stressed that I was on the verge of a stroke (at 23). I was forced to leave and find something less demanding.
You can go out to the oil field, but you are in for a world of hurt. There is a huge difference from working 3 or 4 hours a day and than sitting in a classroom or in front of a computer as opposed to being in the 100 degree sun or the -20 degree weather and working for 12 or 14 hours pushing and pulling 500 lb plus pipes everyday that these guys deal with. You also have the size penalty, while the companies like bigger guys, you will learn quickly that your size is a detriment to you, I know because I am 6'5" and was 250 lbs when I worked in the oil field, the heaviest crap or the hardest to get to all gets handed to the biggest guy to handle, it is not fun being 1 of the 2 biggest guys on a site.
Also do not listen to the people in this thread who know nothing about the oil field, I have worked in the oil field and grew up around it. You can make $100,000 a year especially if you can get on a rig or even a good frac crew.
The thing everybody misses is that you get $52 a day or more per diem to pay for meals and essentials while you are on the job site for most companies, and they provide the hotel or put you up in a man camp and than get you back to civilization. Some companies do actually put that into part meal per diem and per hotel per diem, but they still pay for the living arrangements while on site.
The numbers for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and North Dakota all work out about the same as I put below, Texas they pay a little lower in many cases as they are not hurting for guys as much, and they do not work them as many hours.
The schedule is usually 2 weeks on and 1 or 2 weeks off, with the week starting on Wednesday. So once you get on a drilling rig a job paying $24 an hour works like this
1st week working wen-sat = 50 hours * $24= $1320 + 208 per diem (which is not taxed)
2nd week working Sun-Sat= 87.5 hours*$24= $2670 + 364 per diem
3rd week working sun-tues= 37.5 hours *24 = $900 + 156 per diem
Meaning for those 2 weeks on you make $4,890 which is taxable and $728 per diem which is not taxable to you.
13 cycles working 2 on and 2 off you will make $63,570 and $9,464 per diem. Or just over $72,000 a year scheduled.
Than just about every company pays some kind of quarterly bonus, whether it is hole completion, profit sharing, or retention bonuses, the lowest of those that I have ever seen is $2000 a quarter. Giving you a total of $80,000 a year just for staying at your job and working your scheduled hours.
Now the thing is if you want extra hours you can always pick up more hours, maybe not on your rig, but most companies will have at least 2 or 3 rigs in an area, meaning usually at least one guy has some reason to miss a week, or someone got ran off, so you can pick up that extra week pretty easily, and since it butts into your week on it ends up paying you the same as your whole week or $2,670 +$364 per diem. pick up 7 extra weeks and you are over $100,000 a year.
For a frac crew it is less per hour, but it does not take much to get more hours than 80 a week.
Those numbers usually break down to $18 an hour and $52 a day per diem whatever they break it down and call it.
They also usually work the same screwed up week as the drilling rigs, but the days are usually longer.
On the frac crew they usually have a 4 am safety meeting, and than travel to the site where they are at for about 12 hours a day, and then they travel back to the yard. In some areas it can easily be over an hour to a job site, and usually they hire a driver so you can actually spend it sleeping, most of those guys do (and if you do it you will figure out why pretty quickly). The good and proven crews will be busy every day while on shift, while the not so good ones will be stuck in the yard (where most companies still pay per diem and guarantee a 50 hour week.). Most frac crews still seem to work 2 on 1 off in my area.
So on a good crew you will be working something like
Wen-Sat 54 hours *18 an hour= 1078+ 208 per diem
Sun-Sat 94.5 hours * 18= 2191.50+ 364 per diem
Sun-tues 40.5 hour * 18= 733.50 +156 per diem
So for your expected hours you make $4003 taxable and $728 per diem.
working the expected 17+ cycles a year you will make $68,051 and $12,376
or $80,427 a year, with the retention or profit bonus you will make $88,427 a year.
You of course can always pick up extra hours as well, but usually those are in partial weeks, most companies make you take 3 to 4 days off per cycle. But regardless of what 3 days you work they are overtime hours, so you work 40.5 hours *27 an hour= $1094 and $156 per diem. Do that 10 times a year and you will be at 100,000 a year.
Those are also for more of the lower tier jobs, once you work your way up it does not take long to make $100,000 a year working your regular schedule.
Now of course both jobs end up basically the same income, but on the frac crew you work a ton more hours, but get more down time than they usually do on the rigs, but both are jobs that will kill you physically and mentally if you are not ready to work harder than you ever have in your life. If you are smart you will make sure to sleep and relax as much as possible on your days off to allow your body to recover, most people working either job sleep their 1st and last days home to recover and prepare for the work. They will sleep 8+ hours every night they are home, sleep when they can on the job site, and eat very well, and over time if you do not move up you will pay the price with your body.
You think you're ready but your body is going to prove you wrong very quickly. Constant physical stress on your body is going to wear out joints and cause injury. I was also an athlete (baseball) and worked out every day. I worked construction for my father and within a year of working non-stop my knees and back had given out by 20 years old. You need time to let your body recouperate. If you get hurt on the job, which is likely in a physically demanding job your body won't heal correctly if you keep working.
My dad has had multiple back surgeries, 4 knee surgeries, a hip surgery (fell through a floor and tried to keep working) and is headed today to see a surgeon about his foot because he broke his toe on the job and has been working 12 hr days for over a week since he injured it and now he can't walk.
This is a common misconception that a lot of young people have with thinking they're in better shape than they are. You'll quickly learn that you will wear out a lot faster than you think. Just something to keep in mind.
My last construction job was installing seamless gutters and remodeling when it got too dark for gutters. We worked from 6am - 11pm 7 days per week. The boss didn't believe in lunch breaks either, so we worked pretty much non-stop. I made good money but after a year I was so worn out that I started getting physically ill. The doctor said my body was so physically stressed that I was on the verge of a stroke (at 23). I was forced to leave and find something less demanding.
That's pretty much it. the other thing to remember as well is that easy fixes are not that easy. Speaking as someone from south eastern Mass I can tell you that pain killers can lead to drug addictions. Even within sports this can be true. Some teen athletes becoming new face of addiction in Mass. | Health - WCVB Home
When people physically wear out faster it can limit what they can do later. So there are some in the trades that get worn and go back to school or move up into management. I've heard arguments from some that maybe they should lower the social security/retirement plans for those in the trades but I doubt that would pass.
I have no doubt that yes you can make a fair amount working in fraking or other labor jobs like it. But the wear and tear can get to you. Also keep in mind the compounding nature of finances, taxes and investments. I know of some that made good money back in the day and they screwed up their taxes and then got hurt in construction. Dealing with workmans comp and the IRS at the same time while keeping a roof over your head can be daunting.
I don't think the fraking with be as profitible in the long term as some think it is. It reminds me of the Big dig in boston. You could find crane workers pulling 100k but where are they now? That project lasted a good 15 years. The other issue was that funds for it were taken away from other smaller projects so every other project you can think of is scattered with a much smaller budget. Big Dig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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That project lasted a good 15 years. The other issue was that funds for it were taken away from other smaller projects so every other project you can think of is scattered with a much smaller budget.
