Entry Level Roustabout Jobs

Even when the economy is doing well and isn’t down, the high competition for entry level roustabout jobs is easy to understand because of the high pay and opportunities that a roustabout job offers even unskilled workers. While having certain skills like welding or various mechanical skills can definitely give you a leg up in the competition, they are not required. The simple requirements for many entry level roustabout jobs are proof that you can work long hours, do hard demanding work, and are willing to learn on the job. If you have those things going for you, that can be enough to be hired.

However, before you even get to this point it is a good idea to know what you’re getting into. When told about 12 hour work days that go 7 days a week sometimes for three or four weeks at a time or more some workers are intimidated. Others think it will be easy, but that’s when those are just numbers on paper as opposed to facing the actual reality of the situation. The life of a roustabout is not an easy one, and while the pay can be excellent, you will want to know what you’re getting into.

The first thing to understand is the grind. Even in the best case situations (like an onshore oil job in North Dakota in the summer) is still going to wear on the toughest of workers. Twelve hours a day, seven days a week for weeks on end will wear on anybody. Depending on where you land your roustabout job you may find yourself sharing a room with bunk beds with the other entry level roustabouts or you might have your own little room in a “trailer motel” but be so isolated that you can’t get out to anywhere until a break or you’re done with the job.

The isolation wears on many roustabout workers, and it doesn’t help that the work is dirty and hard. The company you do have will be many more tired and hard working roustabouts. Depending on the location, you may be facing constant temperatures well below freezing, or sweltering heat. Some of the highest paying roustabout jobs are in locations that are not considered safe. For the ridiculous amount of money the most dangerous jobs offer, you have to face the possibilities of civil strife or even kidnapping. These are extreme scenarios, but they can be part of the roustabout life.

First time roustabout workers should expect to be at the bottom of the totem pole. Learning on the job can be difficult, and the work is going to be brutal. When there is an extremely dirty and thankless job no one wants to do, the entry level roustabouts are going to be sent to take care of it. When extra equipment shows up at the end of shift, it’s the beginning roustabouts who have to take care of it.

While this life is extremely hard, for workers who are committed to making good money and creating a better life for themselves, this is an excellent opportunity to turn personal work ethic and mettle into a good paycheck.