Also called: Oilfield Laborer, Floorhand
Does the physical work of keeping oil and gas rigs and wells running.
You start at dawn, unloading pipe from trucks, cleaning equipment, painting tanks and helping the crew connect pipe on the rig floor. It's hard, dirty work, but many people start here and work their way up.
Overtime can raise pay a lot.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. No diploma required; on-the-job training and safety certifications.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly. Tied to drilling activity.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Automated pipe handling robots cut some rig labor over time; general field work in rough conditions stays human.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to oilfield service companies; they send new hires to SafeLand and H2S classes First: SafeLand orientation (1 day), H2S training and a drug test
Classes: Shop class, Welding CTE, Auto shop, Physical education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-5071.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.