Find a Job You Really Want In
Yes, integrated oil companies is a great career path. It’s a huge, well-funded industry full of opportunities. Whether you’re interested in getting a higher degree or not, you can get a highly paid job in this industry.
Integrated oil companies are responsible for every part of the petroleum process. They locate the oil deposits, pull them from the ground, refine it, ship it, and sell it. This means that there are myriad different responsibilities and choices in careers in the industry.
Here are 18 great jobs in integrated oil companies:
10 of the Best Paying Jobs in Integrated Oil Companies
As is true with almost every industry, higher education leads to better pay. The majority of the jobs that require a degree are also going to be less labor-intensive and more cerebral, though almost every career in this industry is going to require some fieldwork.
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Average Annual Salary: $92,000
Petroleum engineers focus on the best and most effective way to remove oil from the ground. They keep abreast of new technologies and techniques to see if they should be applied to the current extraction process. Some are also expected to monitor equipment in the field, making sure that it’s correctly calibrated and properly maintained.
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Average Annual Salary: $81,000
This job is on the processing side of petroleum production. Process engineers are found in the majority of manufacturing industries, as their job is focused on refining the process of manufacturing or refinement.
They are typically specialized in a particular industry, as they require knowledge of techniques as well as the chemicals and standards of the particular industry.
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Average Annual Salary: $79,000
Mechanical Engineers aren’t specific to oil extraction and production. They specialize in the design, creation, and maintenance of machinery, making them a must for an industry reliant on heavy machinery. They are always striving to create more efficient, more reliable, and safer machinery.
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Average Annual Salary: $86,000
The geology of an area determines how likely there are to be fossil fuels to extract. Petroleum geologists specialize in knowing the areas that are most likely to have oil reservoirs, as well as how difficult it will be to set up a well.
They need a strong understanding of geology, as well as being aware of what the extraction equipment can and can’t do.
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Petroleum Analyst
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Analysts’ jobs are based on numbers. Petroleum analysts work much more on the business side of the petroleum industry, calculating pricing and production costs.
They study how much it costs to remove and refine the product, then how high demand is. From these calculations, they come up with how much to charge in order to keep the company profitable.
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Average Annual Salary: $120,000
This is a management position. Tool pushers are in charge of the oil rig and all the people that work on it. Because of the high level of responsibility, they’re very well paid.
They’re responsible for the equipment, personnel, and keeping everything running smoothly. This position requires a tremendous amount of experience and reliability to attain.
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Petroleum Landman
Average Annual Salary: N/A
A petroleum landman is a person who secures the right to extract oil from a property. They have to be familiar with local laws and regulations, land management and must be a good salesman. Many of them deal with private owners, but a fair amount of land is also leased from the government for petroleum extraction.
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Environmental Compliance Specialist
Average Annual Salary: $56,000
Someone with this title is responsible for making sure that the company meets the rules and regulations in terms of environmental requirements. They have to be familiar with that area of the law, along with the differences in regulations between states and localities.
A knowledge of chemistry helps as well, as they often have to measure emissions and pollutants.
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Average Annual Salary: $61,000
The vast majority of gas stations are franchised. That means that while they operate under the name of a major company – such as, say, Shell – they are owned and operated by a local person.
There are certain company rules that a franchisee must follow, but it has a lot of potential for growth and building a profitable business. How much money you make is going to depend on what you’re franchising, how many franchises you own, and how successful you are.
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Average Annual Salary: $62,000
A driller doesn’t have as much experience as a tool pusher, but they are in charge of a crew and responsible for operating a piece of very expensive and dangerous machinery. They have to be able to work together with others, as well as give instructions as needed and make sure that safety procedures are followed.
The majority of the above jobs require a college education along with experience in a similar position. That’s why they’re higher paid and harder to get into. If you’re looking to get a start in the industry, then the jobs listed below would be a better bet.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Integrated Oil Companies
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Average Annual Salary: $45,000
This position is exactly what the title describes. It requires a commercial driver’s license as well as the ability to keep up with paperwork and do basic maintenance on a truck. Most truckers work long, irregular hours, making it a difficult career path. However, if you own your own truck, it can also grant a lot of freedom.
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Average Annual Salary: $43,000
Petroleum refinery workers are involved in the refinement process of petroleum. They operate the machinery that distills the crude oil into gasoline, kerosene, and oils. This job doesn’t require a college degree and is taught through on-the-job training.
You’ll be trained on the basis of the process as well as how to properly operate and maintain the machinery.
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Average Annual Salary: $46,000
Someone in this position is a specialized firefighter. Oil fires are different than many other types of fires and are notoriously dangerous and difficult to put out. So not only does someone in this role have to know about how to deal with that type of fire, they’re expected to be familiar with safety regulations and fire prevention.
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Average Annual Salary: $51,000
A floor hand works under the supervision of a driller, doing routine checks and maintenance. They do tasks as assigned. This is a very physically demanding job that’s often going to get you dirty, as well as being potentially dangerous. But the floor hand is the lowest level position on a rig, meaning it’s the best way to get started in the industry.
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Average Annual Salary: $38,000
This is a skilled trade that is essential in most oil fields and rigs. Welders weld pipe and other metal objects together. Having someone who can weld on hand is especially important on offshore rigs, as being able to get other workers out there isn’t always possible.
Welders sometimes apprentice, but many trade and vocational schools have programs to teach applicants how to weld.
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Average Annual Salary: $37,000
A process technician makes sure that the manufacturing process runs smoothly. They maintain equipment and monitor the process to make sure that everything is working properly.
Being able to test for quality is also required, as well as being able to alter the production to improve it (depending on circumstances). It’s a fast-paced, detail-oriented job.
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Average Annual Salary: $37,000
A roustabout is a sort of jack of all trades. Roustabouts perform many different types of duties in an oil field, most of them unskilled labor. These include maintenance, loading and unloading supplies, and other miscellaneous duties as assigned.
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Average Annual Salary: $43,000
While it’s generally preferred for petroleum inspectors to have experience in the industry, it isn’t required. A petroleum inspector’s job is to make sure that the petroleum meets industry and government standards. They test it for quality as well as file the appropriate paperwork and flag anything that doesn’t meet the standards.
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Average Annual Salary: $53,000
Someone in this role is in charge of making sure that safety procedures and standards are followed. It generally requires a college degree in a related field. Safety is a major concern in the petroleum industry, so having someone on hand to make sure rules and regulations are followed is important.
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Average Annual Salary: $46,000
An oiler, sometimes also called a greaser, is in charge of making sure that the machinery is properly lubricated. They also take care of other basic maintenance tasks and make sure that the machinery is properly cared for.
Why Choose a Career in Integrated Oil Companies?
Petroleum production is a major, wealthy industry, leading to a lot of opportunities in the field. Though there have been some efforts to limit the use of gasoline, other petroleum products are going to continue to be in use, and many of the skills gained here can translate to other industries as well.
It’s a demanding industry, so consider whether or not you have the following attributes before deciding to pursue a career in integrated oil companies.
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You enjoy working in the field. Even in the more cerebral careers in this industry, like a petroleum engineer, it’s not uncommon to have to do fieldwork. And if you work directly in an oil field, then your job largely consists of physical labor.
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Risks are acceptable so long as there’s a payoff. This isn’t necessary for every job in the industry; petroleum analysts don’t have a dangerous job, for example. But many of the careers listed above consist of either doing manual labor near heavy machinery or at least being willing to go out and inspect it.
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You don’t mind working for a large company. While there’s nothing wrong with having a job in a huge organization, it’s going to have a very different culture than a smaller one.
If you’re working for an integrated oil company, it’s going to be massive, and even if you don’t work directly for one, you’re likely to end up working for the government or a university, neither of which are known for being small.
This is a demanding industry with a risk of injury attached to it. Because of that, many of the jobs are very well paid, even the ones that don’t require a college education. Not everyone is willing or able to work in a dangerous and demanding industry. But If the above qualities describe you, then it’s a career path for you to consider.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Integrated Oil Companies
Many of the careers in the field don’t require more than graduating from high school. However, if you’re interested in the engineering or more cerebral aspects of it, here are some degrees to consider.
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Engineering. This is a more generic degree, but it can get you into various fields. If you want to specialize, you can do that too. For instance:
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Petroleum engineering. If you want to be a petroleum engineer.
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Mechanical engineering. If you want to be a mechanical engineer.
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Chemistry. This degree opens you up to all kinds of possibilities. It can help for being a petroleum engineer or a process engineer, as well as being an inspector.
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Chemical Engineering. The same principles apply as above.
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Petroleum Technology. This covers the gamut of what sorts of heavy equipment is used in the process of extracting crude oil to what technology goes into the manufacture and processing of it.
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Mathematics. This is good if you’re interested in being an analyst. It can also be a good choice if you want to go into engineering.
Certifications are going to be based much more on what you’re interested in. If you want to be a safety officer, for instance, there are myriad safety certifications to look into. For the majority of the other jobs listed here, certifications wouldn’t be necessary, but if you can find one that’s specific to your area of expertise, they certainly won’t hurt your career prospects.
What Do People Working In Integrated Oil Companies Do?
Integrated oil companies are involved in the entire process of petroleum: extracting it, processing it, shipping it, and selling it; So, if you work for an integrated oil company, you could be involved in any of those processes.
Generally, the people who don’t have a college education are going to be the ones on the ground doing manual labor. This is going to include running heavy machinery, doing maintenance on it, and moving and assembling equipment and supplies as needed.
If you have a college degree, you’ll likely be involved in the higher-level planning aspects, such as designing equipment, selecting the best place to put it for maximum effect, and working on the best way to process the crude oil.
There are also the shipping and selling aspects, which involve logistics, retail, and shipping. For this, you could work as a truck driver, an analyst, or a franchise owner. This industry is filled with possibilities, meaning that you can choose a career based on your interests.
The entire process of integrated oil companies is technical and involved. It runs from top to bottom, meaning that you can be involved with getting the oil out of the ground, processing it, or even looking for untapped reservoirs of it. The breadth of choices leads to an industry with a wide variety of workers with myriad different backgrounds.
Author
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
