Oil drilling rig jobs are not for the weak or faint at heart. These are jobs that can only be done by those with strength and courage. Work on offshore oil rigs is difficult with long hours, made dangerous by treacherous weather. Sometimes work has to be done in freezing cold rain, sometimes in the hot sun and humid windless heat. But if this was all that an oil rig worker had to look forward to, no one would do the job. But the oil industry is one of the few sectors which actually pay their front line workers well. They make a lot of money, and almost never have enough workers.



That's why offshore drilling companies are willing to pay $45,000 a year for entry level roustabouts. But this is not the only highly paid oil drilling rig job. Even the steward who does the housekeeping on board the oil platform receives very nearly the same salary. The cooks who keep the rig workers fed can receive up to $55,000, comparable to a high-ranking chef in a restaurant. In fact, anyone who has specialized skills, like a mechanic, electrician, welder, or scaffolder can expect to earn at least $55,000 a year even without prior offshore experience. And if you have the right type of post-graduate Geology degree, you are looking at a minimum of $80,000, not counting your sign-up bonuses.

If you stick around long enough, maybe work hard for 10 to 20 years and find a unionized job, you have every chance of adding at least $10,000 to your starting salary. A 20-year veteran roustabout can easily ask for $55,000, earning $20,000 more than his counterpart in a construction yard. On land, only managers, salesmen, sports stars and movie stars can expect to earn as much. Of course, this is only comparing the salaries of normal human beings, not the superstars like Tiger Woods or Tom Cruise.

All this money is being paid for you to do good, honest, hard work. This is money you earn that won't give you sleepless nights. Unlike politicians and Wall Street bankers, you can face yourself in the mirror every morning when you shave without having to feel any guilt. The salary for oil drilling rig jobs certainly beats flipping burgers at McDonald's or Wendy's, doesn't it?

Obviously, to actually earn this kind of money, you need to go where there is work. For example, if you had stuck around South Texas in early 2009, you would probably be one of the many oil rig workers who were laid off. But if you had moved to East Texas, where there were companies hiring for oil drilling rig jobs, you would not have any problems finding work. And if you are willing to work offshore, companies like Transocean and Noble Corporation are hiring thousands of workers to crew their new offshore oil rigs.

Simply put, if you have the strength and the courage, if you have the ability and willingness to work hard in difficult and dangerous situations and want to get paid well for these qualities, then oil drilling rig jobs are for you. Move to where the newer oil fields are located and you will have a better chance of getting hired.