Entry Level Roustabout Jobs

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Rig welding jobs pay you up to $62,000 every year. Compare this to the same welding job in the manufacturing sector – $30,000 a year. When you factor in the increasing movement of more and more production jobs to India and China, this is good news. While some oil drilling contractors like Halliburton and Schlumberger have announced retrenchments, others (e.g. Noble and Transocean) are hiring thousands of new workers to operate their new oil rigs. These oil companies aren’t just hiring roustabouts and drillers either, they also need workers in support positions like oil rig welders. Fortunately, rig welder jobs are entry-level positions, so a qualified welder without oil industry experience can still get hired.

Although there are welding certifications, wide variations in quality mean that many oil companies will conduct their own tests for oil rig welding jobs. Nevertheless, job seekers with certifications (“6 GR” from City and Guilds in the UK, AWS for the US) will get through HR’s scrutiny more easily.

Applicants for offshore oil rig welding jobs will find that the following certifications give them an edge over their competitors:

* First aid
* Helicopter underwater escape training
* Offshore survival training

The same as any other job vacancy, recommendations from friends in the oil industry are the best way to get hired for rig welding jobs. Oil drilling companies have two main positions for welders:

* Permanent attachment to an oil rig to make repairs and build new metalwork
* Flying squad to help complete big projects quickly

Under ordinary circumstances, married men should think twice about rig welders jobs. Like other oil rig jobs, the working schedules of these jobs tend to place great strain on a marriage. On top of that, the job is physically strenuous and potentially dangerous. Oil rig welders sometimes work suspended high above the ground from cranes or on scaffolds, so job seekers need to have a head for heights. Offshore oil rigs are also located in the middle of the ocean, and everyone works 12-hour shifts for 14 days without a break, followed by 14 days of rest back on dry land.

The salary of rig welding jobs is double the salary for the same job in manufacturing. As this is considered entry level oil rig employment, job seekers do not need any specific experience in the oil industry. They just need to be experienced welders.

Are you looking for rig welding jobs? Click here to learn how RigWorker can help you to quickly and easily find entry level rig welding jobs.

by CALVIN LOH