One of the most scenic drives in the world is undeniably along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. What may come as a surprise, though, is the number of oil rigs and tankers that are clearly visible out on the ocean. It’s easy to think of the oil industry in the US being confined to the state of Texas, but those looking for an oil rig job should also think about heading west to California. There are both offshore and jobs on dry land available for those that would like to enter into the lucrative careers that can be had by drilling for black gold.

The job you decide upon in California may very well hinge on where you believe the industry is headed in that particular state. Offshore oil production is somewhat down, but there is a very strong belief that the massive amounts of shale oil in the ground could very well make California set to become a boom state the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the gold rush. Much of that depends on the discussion taking place about the environmental effects of fracking, which is how that shale oil is discovered, but you have to believe that the need for oil will make that boom happen.

In previous posts we have discussed the variety of jobs available in the oil rig industry, so rather than just rehashing that same information over and over, let’s take a look at a specific oil rig job in California.
As previously mentioned, there are plenty of positions available to those that are coming into the oil industry with no experience, but the job we are going to take a look at is one that does require some level of experience in the oil industry.

The job in question is that of a rig operator, with compensation set at the $80,000 per year, which of course is without overtime being added in. It’s worth noting that the base salaries earned by oil rig employees can generally be added to by the amount of hours that you are asked to work in any given day. Another fact that we have mentioned repeatedly is that long hours and hard work are very much at the backbone of every job available in the field. With that said, the rig operator position comes with some definite “managerial” duties, as well as the hard labor.

Those duties usually include making sure that all of the workers are on time and performing their jobs as expected. You will also be expected to make sure that safety procedures are being followed, which often means keeping an eye on the equipment being used to ensure that it is working at maximum efficiency. There may also be a few clerical duties tossed in that might offer a little respite from the back-breaking word that takes place in the field. As already mentioned, this I just one of the many oil rig jobs that are out there waiting for you.

When you think of the oil industry in the United States, you most often think of Texas, which is pretty much the official oil capital of the nation. While Texas is the main oil hub for the US, it is not the only state that offers the chance to start a career in the oil industry. Another state that is a popular destination for those looking to profit from black gold is Colorado. Obviously, these jobs are not offshore, but rather in the oil and gas fields that are found all across the state. What may be surprising to many is that the numbers indicate that Colorado might just be the place to go if you are interested in a job in the oil industry.

Some of the more recent figures show that the oil business is booming in Colorado, with the number of people working in the industry fast approaching 30,000. That number represents a 34% increase in the past four years alone, proving that Colorado is indeed a good place to start looking for a career in oil and gas. The careers that are available in Colorado may not necessarily be the same as those in Texas or other oil rich areas of the world, but there jobs available to suit a number of skills and levels.

A good number of the jobs available are in the drilling and extracting part of the oil industry. Much like people that work on oil rigs, these are labor intensive jobs that may require you to put in a large number of back-breaking hours each month. The rewards are well worth it, though, and the physical nature of the work means that turnover is often high. If there is nothing available in this sector of the industry today, check again tomorrow, as there is a good chance that status will change overnight.

Much of the searching for oil in Colorado is done using hydraulic fracturing, which means water need to be used when breaking into the rock in search of oil. This makes water transfer jobs another commonly advertised career, although you will once again need to be willing to put in a hard day’s work, as this position requires a good amount of heavy lifting. Drivers are also very much in demand, both onsite and off, so that may also be something worth looking into.

Not every position available in the Colorado oil industry is one that requires physical labor. Brains, as well as brawn, are an essential part of the business, which means IT jobs, foreman positions, mapping and many more technical jobs will also be there for the taking. The oil and gas industry is one that has very much proven to be up and down, but with Colorado currently in a major upswing, you might just consider casting your job search eyes to the west.