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I've seen a LOT of posts pop up, I'm assuming this is because of that new news program that featured Williston as well as all the other news articles popping up about it.
A lot of your questions have already been answered, but I really feel like we need a main thread where, if you have a question, you can ask it. It would also make it much easier for those looking to come here to find answers to their questions so that the same question doesn't get answered multiple times.
So I'll start off with some basic information.
Your age doesn't matter, if you're physically in shape and think you can handle the work then you can give it a shot.
Most of these jobs are in the oilfield or have been created by the oilfield. My husband has worked in this line of work for a few years. Here in North Dakota he's been averaging over 100 hours a week. This is not uncommon, you can expect that unless you're a truck driver you will be putting in similar hours.
The pay varies from job to job. From what I've been seeing and hearing, pay for frac crews is getting up into the $17-$18/hr range, wireline is still lower $15-$17), rig hands can make $20+, pipe inspectors can start off as low as $12/hr. (I won't even work an office job for $12/hr, so if I were you I wouldn't settle for that amount.) There are jobs here paying over $20+/hr though with little to no experience.
You do not have to have experience. My husband was working in a customer service and sales position before starting his career in oil and natural gas.
If you are looking for more white collar work, while there is some available here I'd refer you to the east or even central part of the state rather than here. They aren't as busy as Williston, but there are still many jobs available and the cost of living is much lower.
Housing is horrible. It doesn't matter if you come up here by yourself or with your family, finding a place to live will be EXTREMELY difficult. When you can find a place to rent, it will likely be obnoxiously expensive. Some companies, like Halliburton, do have some employee housing available but even that is limited.
You will have to come up here. Most of these companies are getting thousands of applications and phone calls from people in other states. The vast majority of these people will never end up actually coming here. If you're here, they will take you more seriously.
It's cold. It's best to bring winter clothes with you instead of hoping to buy them once here. The local stores constantly run out of basic items including gloves, hats, and more. Learn to layer, it will keep you warm.
You will more than likely work outside in the cold weather. The only time you won't is if you chose a job that doesn't take you outside. Rigs don't shut down because it's cold outside. The only time they shut down is if the company man cannot get to location, this usually occurs in the spring when roads and job sites become so muddy you can't even get to location.
Prepare for stress. Your job will likely be stressful. Driving in town will be stressful. Going to the store will be stressful. Going to McDonalds can be stressful. There are lines everywhere. It's not uncommon for all of the grocery stores to run out of certain items. I've gone to WalMart and their meat department has been almost empty - and that was on a Saturday during the day.
If you have any other questions or comments feel free to make them. Hopefully (I won't hold my breath though) this will help alleviate the numerous posts that we get about moving to the area.
Thank you Lisa...So your thinking it would be best to just go "Vegetarian"!!!!lol...I can imagine eating Mc Donald's everyday..eww after awhile I think I could not eat that diet..no matter the burger joint.
I've seen a LOT of posts pop up, I'm assuming this is because of that new news program that featured Williston as well as all the other news articles popping up about it.
A lot of your questions have already been answered, but I really feel like we need a main thread where, if you have a question, you can ask it. It would also make it much easier for those looking to come here to find answers to their questions so that the same question doesn't get answered multiple times.
So I'll start off with some basic information.
Your age doesn't matter, if you're physically in shape and think you can handle the work then you can give it a shot.
Most of these jobs are in the oilfield or have been created by the oilfield. My husband has worked in this line of work for a few years. Here in North Dakota he's been averaging over 100 hours a week. This is not uncommon, you can expect that unless you're a truck driver you will be putting in similar hours.
The pay varies from job to job. From what I've been seeing and hearing, pay for frac crews is getting up into the $17-$18/hr range, wireline is still lower $15-$17), rig hands can make $20+, pipe inspectors can start off as low as $12/hr. (I won't even work an office job for $12/hr, so if I were you I wouldn't settle for that amount.) There are jobs here paying over $20+/hr though with little to no experience.
You do not have to have experience. My husband was working in a customer service and sales position before starting his career in oil and natural gas.
If you are looking for more white collar work, while there is some available here I'd refer you to the east or even central part of the state rather than here. They aren't as busy as Williston, but there are still many jobs available and the cost of living is much lower.
Housing is horrible. It doesn't matter if you come up here by yourself or with your family, finding a place to live will be EXTREMELY difficult. When you can find a place to rent, it will likely be obnoxiously expensive. Some companies, like Halliburton, do have some employee housing available but even that is limited.
You will have to come up here. Most of these companies are getting thousands of applications and phone calls from people in other states. The vast majority of these people will never end up actually coming here. If you're here, they will take you more seriously.
It's cold. It's best to bring winter clothes with you instead of hoping to buy them once here. The local stores constantly run out of basic items including gloves, hats, and more. Learn to layer, it will keep you warm.
You will more than likely work outside in the cold weather. The only time you won't is if you chose a job that doesn't take you outside. Rigs don't shut down because it's cold outside. The only time they shut down is if the company man cannot get to location, this usually occurs in the spring when roads and job sites become so muddy you can't even get to location.
Prepare for stress. Your job will likely be stressful. Driving in town will be stressful. Going to the store will be stressful. Going to McDonalds can be stressful. There are lines everywhere. It's not uncommon for all of the grocery stores to run out of certain items. I've gone to WalMart and their meat department has been almost empty - and that was on a Saturday during the day.
If you have any other questions or comments feel free to make them. Hopefully (I won't hold my breath though) this will help alleviate the numerous posts that we get about moving to the area.
Thank you very much for the info. I have been reading these news stories for a while and am now giving it a serious consideration. I have a biochemistry degree and currently work as a research and development technician making $14 an hour. To make it worse I live in one of the most expensive cities, San Diego. What jobs would you recommend for a person in my situation? Thanks
100 hours a week.. crazy. When I told the guy I work with about the 16 hour days for 21 days straight that people here are looking for, he didn't believe me, and he's worked quite a bit of overtime during his life, 60-75 hour weeks at the 3M he works at for half the year for years when he was in his 20's and 30's. I've got it so good where I work and I know it, for factory work to get paid these wages and have light, temperature controlled working conditions (constant 69 degrees F in my department) , and not that much overtime.. the more I research online... I'd like to leave this cold wasteland I live in, but no way. I'm like my mother and stepfather, I prefer 40 hours a week, and live simple. Some people like it balls to the walls with the toys though, to each their own.
Thanks Lisa you have always been so helpful. I can def see the companies getting flooded with calls and apps due to media attention. Being there though, do you see a lot of people actually showing up? After seeing that Youtube blizzard, I can see people not showing up soon, lol.....
Thank you very much for the info. I have been reading these news stories for a while and am now giving it a serious consideration. I have a biochemistry degree and currently work as a research and development technician making $14 an hour. To make it worse I live in one of the most expensive cities, San Diego. What jobs would you recommend for a person in my situation? Thanks
It's possible that some of the oil field companies might need the services of a chemist for various things. I know I once saw a job opening listed for a chemistry-type. You should find out what large companies are active in the area and check their job listings on their websites for chemistry-related positions.
Alternatively, would you be willing to work long hours at a physical labor blue collar job that made absolutely no use of your education if it meant earning a large amount of money? If you're in good physical condition and think you could tough it out for a couple years, you could probably save enough money to knock out your student loans. Now might be a good time to start exercising and lifting weights in those regards.
Also, how do you feel about living in a freezing cold area or even working outside for hours on end in the freezing cold? (When I say freezing cold, I mean 10 or 20 degrees below zero.) It's like moving to the tundra. Have you ever lived in a northern state that gets a real winter before?
The biggest problem, of course, is the housing situation. And when people say there's a housing problem, they mean as in literally "no housing" available for rent at all and whatever is available will be very expensive.
Don't feel badly about being underemployed or receiving low wage with your college degree. You're part of a very large and growing club. Here's a post I just made with some links that may be of interest to you:
One thing you might also consider would be to move to one of the three large cities such as Fargo, Grand Forks, or Bismarck. (Minot, on the edge of the oil patch, has had a housing shortage problem for several years and it's extremely bad right now since 4000 homes were destroyed in this summer's flood.) However, there might not be much available in the cities for a chemist and they really aren't swimming in white collar jobs as far as I know. This is primarily a blue collar state that traditionally has depressed wages for white collar work and it has two mid-sized (14,000 students each) state colleges pumping out college graduates in a state with a very low population (about 750,000). However, you might be better off in one of those cities than in San Diego simply by decreasing your cost of living and perhaps by increasing your quality of life by being able to live in an area with a far lower population density. Of course, that depends on what makes quality of life for you--there aren't any beaches, nightlife activities other than bars aren't real abundant, and it's going to be freezing cold compared to San Diego.
Here's one other consideration that's rarely mentioned and often overlooked by people. Do you enjoy the company of women? I'm not sure what the male-to-female ratios are like in the cities (probably fine), which should always be a concern for a heterosexual person. In the oil patch, finding available women will be very difficult since the male-to-female ratio is very high. It must be like an all-pervasive never-ending sausagefest. If I weren't married and were on the market for a mate, that part would drive me insane.
Last edited by Bhaalspawn; 11-02-2011 at 02:03 AM..
Other than Craigslist, is there a good way to search for open RV spots? I have an unused 5th-wheel camper* that I plan to bring up to the Williston area and rent out. I'd prefer to have a site for it prior to starting the 3 day trip. (I'll need to take vacation from work and need to minimize my time away)
*nice camper, I just don't use it anymore... not trying to be a slumlord
Thanks Lisa you have always been so helpful. I can def see the companies getting flooded with calls and apps due to media attention. Being there though, do you see a lot of people actually showing up? After seeing that Youtube blizzard, I can see people not showing up soon, lol.....
I have. People will come no matter the time of year, but the number of people coming during the winter isn't as bad as during the spring or summer. They still come, and there is still nowhere for them to stay, but it's not like the summer where people are putting up tents wherever they can and sleeping there.
When I worked at the staffing agency we would get hundreds of out of state applications, even during the winter. Out of those, maybe 1-2 a week would actually show up which is why most companies want you here before they take you seriously.
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