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I've done my homework on the cons of boom towns, the shortage of housing, the extreme weather, best time of year to work, but one piece of information that I still need pinned down is wages on the oil rigs for people with no experience. As with everything else, I need figures from multiple sources to feel comfortable that I've arrived at a reasonably precise figure.
I have heard (in online and TV news stories) of people with no experience earning 80k to 120k per year. The minimum wage I could accept to work that hard is 80k per year, as any office job in a major city can easily net 60k/yr, and 80k total if you work a second job as waiter job in the evenings.
For the benefit of all who view this thread, and ignoring all the costs of living and focusing on wages alone, my question to you is this: what reliable pay rates do you have for inexperienced people who work on oil rigs in the Williston area (in a +-70 mile radius).
A tertiary question: how is overtime counted on oil rigs? Is overtime any hours over 40 that you work in any given week? Any hours over 160 that you work in a 4-week period? I would appreciate some insight from someone experienced in this line of work.
I'm sorry I can't answer all your questions. With no experience I'm sure you'll probably start at the bottom of the ladder. In an earlier post it was stated that some college kids were making $ 25 an hour on a casing crew. It didn't say anything about overtime. Try going back and reading previous posts or wait for Roloff1976. He seems to be pretty much in tune with what's going on and gives out good advice.
Are you just limiting yourself to working on oil rigs or are you open to other positions in the oil industry? I will ask my bf when I see him in a bit what pumkin heads are making just starting out on the rigs. He has been in the oil field for over 17 years so he would know what he is talking about. He works 7 days on and 7 days off. There is a lot of other jobs that involve fracking, wireline, and so forth...Weatherford, Haliburton, Calfrac are a few of the big companies around here.
Well, I be back later to give some info on working the rigs wagewise.
On a sidenote, my 16-year-old nephew just got hired at one of the local service places for more on the agricultural side and he is starting out at $11.50, lol, pretty good for the guy. He was making around $9 I believe for Quiznos when that was still open.
I was working for Wisco cleaning skid shacks and started out at $12.00/hr, hard work though the gals are wonderful that I worked with, I would have stayed on, but can't be away for my girls 15 hours a day or more sometimes. I did hear that Stallion pays more than that starting out for cleaners. Tons of overtime though to be had everywhere, that is where you make your money. I know that Haliburton don't necessarily start out so high, but you got major overtime.
Right now I am starting my own cleaning business so I can have somewhat flexible hours with my kid's schedules. I was going to go parttime just for a service job here in Williston, but they only want to pay $10/hr and that don't quite cut it with the cost of living here now. Anyways, that was for a few that I checked out...taking urine samples, and another for a local chem place.
I'm looking for the most demanding and the toughest job available with no experience, with the expectation that I will make the most money doing it. From what I've heard, roustabouts and roughnecks on the oil platforms make the most money.
As a roustabout, I expect to be paid a premium over the wage given to workers in the Gulf states based on the shortage of labor and the exceedingly cold weather North Dakota has in the winter. I can find wage information for those workers on oceanic oil rigs and oil platforms in the Gulf states easily, but I'm looking specifically at what I could make in Williston or any area in the Bakken oil formation, as I understand it can be much higher due to the harsh conditions and shortage of labor.
I could suck it up and go to Los Angeles or New York and in a few weeks find work in an office for 60k a year. But if it's true that I can make at least 80k/yr ($1500/week), doing physical labor 12 hours per day, that's fair to me while i'm still young and strong and stubborn.
I invite anyone in western North Dakota and eastern Montana to share relevant 1st- or 2nd-hand information about wages for inexperienced grunts with strong minds who are willing to work hard.
My hubby is on the fracking side of the oiling process in Williston and surrounding well sites. His job is NOT the most intense and laboring out there, so I don't know if this even relates to the info. you're looking for. There are many contractors for all the different phases of the process and each pays differently. I can only tell you what my husband's company pays and what his schedule is like....
2wks on/1wk off. Overtime is 1.5 and starts after 40hrs. Depending on the week they usually have 100-110 hrs. each wk. The wk. off they get paid for a straight 40hrs ($640 gross) to help compensate with the traveling costs. There are mancamps which provide housing and food and are not bad, again depending on the company. Per diem is $20-$50/day depending on the location and company you work for (if food is not provided). Pay is $16/hr with CDL (which you NEED a permit to get hired, but don't have to have the license until later and you would have to pay for your own school going this route. However, if going thru an agency then the company usually sends you to school and pays for your education) and it's $16.50/hr for having your Hazmat license. This is the initial pay until you become a supervisor, which can take approx. 1 yr. depending on your work ethic and supervisors that recommend you. Supers make around $25/hr. Even though it's not great hourly wages, there's so much OT that hubby makes about 83k annually (gross). All benefits are great and you are only providing housing/food for 1wk. every 3wks. so the actual wages are much higher. The company also pays/provides crew vehicles to send you back to your 'home.' So you can live in different states where other crews go or if no crew is in your home area, then you provide your own expenses to fly/drive.
Those are all good wages but its obvious you have to be able to work well with your co workers. Some people though dont work well with others (like me).
I was going to go parttime just for a service job here in Williston, but they only want to pay $10/hr and that don't quite cut it with the cost of living here now. Anyways, that was for a few that I checked out...taking urine samples, and another for a local chem place.
Ahhh what?!?! I have a SUPER flexible office job where I don't do a whole lot the majority of the time and I'm making $13/hr. I wasn't even looking when I got this job, but unless I'm working for the school district (which offered me a job, but I declined for the job I currently have) I wouldn't even consider an offer for anything below $13. If it's high stress or physical I wouldn't consider anything over $15/hr. When I was working at the staffing place there were places out there willing to pay $15 or more an hour for office help. I cannot believe somewhere tried to offer $10/hr for service help... LMAO. What a joke.
My own husband was working wireline and he was making good money, but not as much as he could be making. He just switched over to a tool hand and all of his checks have been close to twice what he was making as a wireline operator, but you have to have oilfield experience to be a tool hand for the company he's with. He had to push just to get this job since they typically will only hire guys who have been roughnecks.
OP, I would recommend getting on with a frac or wireline crew at first, they'll hire people without experience. Once you've got in some time with them you can look for other jobs. My husband has a base salary and his bonus amount is $20/hr while out on the job which is more than what supers are making with frac and wireline crews.
Hello, well what a busy day, anyways it appears that the company my bf works for starts the newbies out at 20 and then of course raises after that as you prove yourself. However, when they are in schooling for it before they go to an actual rig, the wage is $14/hr. which is here by Williston. They have a catered camp to eat at and take meals to the rigs with them, and they stay in skid houses when working. On their 7 days off your on your own as where to live. Overtime after 40 hours. Like I said he has been there for a long time and is making around 32 bucks an hour.
Ahhh what?!?! I have a SUPER flexible office job where I don't do a whole lot the majority of the time and I'm making $13/hr. I wasn't even looking when I got this job, but unless I'm working for the school district (which offered me a job, but I declined for the job I currently have) I wouldn't even consider an offer for anything below $13. If it's high stress or physical I wouldn't consider anything over $15/hr. When I was working at the staffing place there were places out there willing to pay $15 or more an hour for office help. I cannot believe somewhere tried to offer $10/hr for service help... LMAO. What a joke.
My own husband was working wireline and he was making good money, but not as much as he could be making. He just switched over to a tool hand and all of his checks have been close to twice what he was making as a wireline operator, but you have to have oilfield experience to be a tool hand for the company he's with. He had to push just to get this job since they typically will only hire guys who have been roughnecks.
OP, I would recommend getting on with a frac or wireline crew at first, they'll hire people without experience. Once you've got in some time with them you can look for other jobs. My husband has a base salary and his bonus amount is $20/hr while out on the job which is more than what supers are making with frac and wireline crews.
LOL, ya I know it, I really have not been looking that hard, but the other week I put in my resume/app for 2 jobs wanting parttime help. They asked me what I wanted to begin at and I said I was wanting 12/hr to start, but they said they start out at 10/hr so yeah not so great. I won't say the names of the 2 companies, but there are others that only want to hire at that or less...still! I have 2 associate degrees and various customer experience along with strong computer skills, I pick up new software/programs very easily. Maybe I am selling myself too short for the places I should apply, but I just wanted a parttime job that pays a bit better than that.
I worked my ass and hands off when I cleaned skid houses, but 12 just didn't seem worth it to me either!
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