What do oil rig workers do? There are a number of components to oil rigs and each part requires the work of an educated individual who knows how to operate his component of the machinery. Think of working on an oil rig as the human anatomy: when everything works in its place, the results are healthy. When one or more components get out of hand, the results are not good. The following types of offshore oil rig jobs are available:
• Roustabouts
• Petroleum Engineers
• Brazers and Welders
• Offshore Crane Operators
Roustabout jobs consist of entry-level oil rig jobs the oil rig worker is expected to perform, such as lifting supplies and products the rig needs, whether heavy or light. The roustabout paints the rigs frequently, moves pipes and other parts to where they need to go, and oversees the offshore drilling site to make sure it is off-limits to contamination and interference. Roustabouts are paid based on the demand of their general responsibilities, but can make anywhere from $34,000 to $54,000 annually.
Petroleum Engineers are those who brainstorm to create effective oil-drilling techniques. PEs, as they are called for short, make an average annual salary of $80,000-$85,000. It is a great-paying job, but a difficult one that requires a lot of knowledge and education.
Brazers and welders are responsible for ensuring that oil equipment is attached properly, such as the wellhead when out in the oil fields. This is an important job because failure to set the equipment correctly could result in massive oil spills and human death (not to mention the ecological damage done to the environment). Brazers and welders are also entry-level jobs that pay around $37,000 annually.
Offshore crane operators are those that are responsible for using oil drilling platforms to find oil, drill for it, and ensure that the oil will be transported properly to the place where it is packaged and sold at hardware stores and gas stations. The offshore crane operator position is one of the offshore oil rig jobs that pays high, similar to that of the Petroleum Engineer (though it does not pay the same as the PE). The annual, average salary for an offshore crane operator is $69,000-$70,000.
As can be seen from the occupations above, offshore jobs have benefits – particularly financial ones. At the same time, great money for a high job leads to high responsibility. This is the reason why BP’s engineers such as Kurt Mix were treated so harshly by the DOJ after the BP oil rig explosion in 2010.
