$100k as a derrickhand

[HellCat]

You can make close to $105K as a derrickhand, especially offshore or on remote sites like the North Slope but its not something you jump into overnight. Most people start at the bottom as a roustabout doing tough physical work with long hours and little sleep.I worked rigs in the '90s and got promoted quickly but it took a mix of hard work, quick learning and a bit of luck. Even then you had to prove yourself. Especially since safety and equipmen t are on the line. If you're serious the best thing to do is just get started. Nothing beats hands on experience in the oil field.

 

[Aldwin101]

Wow, kudos to the kind of dedication and grit you put into your work! It's nice to hear real stories from the field! Are you working at the North Slope? I'm curious to know what kind of schedule do you typically have on the rigs? I could imagine the rotations are significantly different when you're at remote locations!

 

[Lady.in.oil]

All cool but like you said, it's not an overnight thing and starting as a roustabout is basically the rite of passage. Long hours, heavy lifting, and not much rest. Hands on experience really is the only way to move up. I

 

[PipeDreamer]

I once met a guy who worked up on the Slope, he was on for two weeks, then off for two. He told me the cold up there was something else, absolutely brutal. But you know what? By the time most of his pals were just finishing college, he'd already paid off his truck and even made a down payment on a house. That kind of hustle is pretty impressive if you ask me

 

[Hardworkingguy]

I did some crunching a while back and the North Slope and Gulf of Mexico are among the highest paying locations, sometimes reaching $100K and more. With that said, the average is a bit below, more like $80K I think, which is still not too bad.