13 Highest paying jobs in oil & gas production

The oil and gas sector is among the biggest industries in the world. There’s a lot of diversity in the field in such a way that the employment opportunities in it are plentiful and lucrative. Of course, oil and gas are one of the most important sources of energy in the world as they constitute most of the world’s energy sources, such as automobiles and factories, which use crude oil extracts.

As the world gets bigger and better, so does the demand for oil and gas. This is because most of the technology that powers the world runs on energy from oil.

Not to mention the amount it adds to the GDP of many countries every year. Countries like Nigeria rely solely on their oil exports to function. The money made from oil exploration is some countries’ main source of income. Although the majority of countries in the world buy oil from other countries, many countries have massive oil deposits. From what we know about the world, most of the largest oil-producing countries are in Africa and the Middle East, but some are in Europe and America as well.

Statista estimates that the world will use 91 billion barrels of oil every day in 2021, and that number will go up to 105 billion barrels every day by 2026. A statistical estimate also shows that oil and gas make up the largest share of the world’s energy consumption. Oil and gas make up about 32% of the energy used in both Europe and Asia. It makes up about 40% of the energy in North America and up to 41% in Africa. About 44% of energy is used in the south, while 53% is used in the Middle East.

There are a lot of job opportunities in almost every field in the sector. The oil industry is not excluded. If you want to work in the oil and gas field, you have to pass a series of steps, most of which are about getting the qualifications and passing some exams before being able to apply.

The oil and gas jobs have a hierarchy of payment depending on your work demand and how relevant it is in the industry. As stated above, they’re varieties of job opportunities in the oil sector for engineers, business administration, and financial accountants.

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15 best paying jobs in oil & gas production

If you’re looking for high paying jobs in the oil and gas industry, there are many of them available. The oil and gas industry arguably has the highest GDP contribution. Saying there’s no money in the field is a factoid. In fact, it is among the industries with the highest pay for its employees due to its booming income in it. Most countries with oil-producing industries have their workers as the most paid and revered people in society.

Some of the highest paid jobs in the oil and gas industry are as follows with their primary duties and their pay pack.

1. Lease Purchase Operator

The Lease purchase operators are the biggest people in the oil and gas industry as they take the highest salary. They’re some forms of middlemen responsible for the safety of oil and gas transported from the drilling place to processing sites and then to commercial stations where they are stored and sold.

They inspect and monitor the conveying vehicles for damage, cracks, or any other forms of faults that may disturb the proper transportation of petroleum products. They also inspect and may take drilling equipment for repairs.

Lease purchase operator positions require you to have a certain qualification. To be qualified to apply for this job you must have at least a bachelor’s degree or high school diploma and advanced mechanical knowledge. They earn an average annual salary of $101,625.

2. Vessel manager

These experts are experienced workers in the oil and gas industry. They supervise and ensure the safety of offshore drilling by training crew members and supervising drilling engineers in order to ensure safety and perfect drilling.

To be qualified for the position of vessel manager, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in nautical science and fleet management training courses or any other related fields. The salary package for these workers is mouth-watering. A vessel manager has an average salary of $72,125 per year.

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3. Well Testers

Well-testers are experts in the oil and gas industry whose job is to access and study oil wells to ensure the safety and balance of the oil wells and pipelines before, during, and after work.

They’re responsible for the safety of the oil industry by evaluating and studying using tools. The education requirements for this include a diploma certificate or GED and onsite training. They have an annual salary of $44,061.

4. Chemical Engineers

Chemical engineers in the oil and gas sector are one of the most paid workers. They’re responsible for assessing and determining the type and amount of chemicals used to transform oil products into useful materials in the industry. 

All the additive substances used on crude oil and petroleum to transform them into useful materials are done by the chemical engineers in collaboration with other professional engineers. To be qualified as a chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry, you must have a bachelor’s degree in the field or related field. A chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry receives an annual income of about $63,844.

5. Gas Plant Operator

The gas plant operators are the experts in the oil and gas industry whose duties are to distribute gas for companies that use them through the compressors with a maintained pressure. They are one of the highest paying oil and gas jobs in the world.

They’re also responsible for gas distribution to industrial plants using the control boards and semiautomatic equipment for the process.

Gas operators are considered among the top paid jobs in the oil industry and labor market at large. They’re paid about $41,541 annually.

To be qualified as a gas operator, you must have an education qualification of at least a high school diploma.

6. HR adviser

The HR advisers are professionals in the oil industry whose primary work is to establish good relationships through resolving and overseeing work between the management and the employees in the industry.

They also conduct employee investigations, resolve conflicts, and update the company’s policies. To be qualified for the post of HR adviser, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in human resources and or related fields. Their average annual salary is about $72,174.

7. Sales Representative

The sales representatives in the oil and gas sector are also among the most paid workers in the industry. They’re obliged to sell all the finished petroleum products to the wholesalers and to the retailers respectively.

The workers in this field must have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field or any related one. Their annual salary is summed up to be about $65,196.

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8. Petroleum Geologist

Petroleum geologists are among the prominent workers in the petroleum industry responsible for discovering petroleum sites and determining the type of drilling method to apply based on the geological composition of the site. It is studied using many drilling equipments and machinery designed for that purpose.

The education requirements for this job is at least a bachelor’s degree in geoscience and the pay is awesome. They receive an annual salary of about $70,578.

9. Drilling Engineers

Among the most important workers in the oil and gas industry are the drilling engineers. They’re responsible for all the drilling process from the inception till the end. They’re one of the most professional engineers in the field.

The education requirement for the drilling job in the oil and gas industry is at least a bachelor’s degree in the field and state-issued certification to be employed. They’re also one of the most awarded as most of them take home an average annual salary of about $75,770 per year.

10. Crude Oil Drivers

Crude oil drivers are responsible for transporting finished or raw oil to stations and retailers for commercial purposes using vehicles and tankers. The education requirement for this is not much. To be able to apply for the job of crude oil driver, you must have a high school diploma certificate or GED. Plus you must have experience in driving commercial vehicles. Their pay is about $76,874 per year.

11. Executive Account Managers

The executive account managers are responsible for making plans and organizing the company’s account. They’re also responsible for conducting target sales and helping in maintaining the company’s reputation through client/customer relationships.

To be qualified for this job, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business management, or other sales-related fields. Their annual salary is about $77,099 per year.

12. Directors of Operation

The directors of operations are one of the essential parts of the workers in the oil and gas industry. They’re the decision-makers in the company.

They’re obliged to carry out all the company’s proper planning, such as the drafting of budgets, sales, and negotiations. To be qualified for the position, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Their annual salary is  $92,542.

13. Technical Directors

The technical directors are also among the biggest guys in the oil and gas industry with good pay. They are responsible for supervising the drilling teams, project managers, and other engineers in the company. They draft and make recommendations and strategies for the company.

Individuals in this field must have at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration or any other related field to be qualified. Their annual salary is about $100,323.