View Full Version : The oilfield is tempting me
I doubt I'd ever go (I'm too lazy) but the money is getting absurd. Contract welders are making $60/hour. A lowly worm starts out at $18/hr. The damned tool pushers are making over 100k a year. Only problem is for me that I only know how to drive a truck, and that pays $15/hr where my dad works, which would be a paycut. But I've been told, "you get in, learn, and in a few years you can really climb your way up"
Another problem for me is that my back fuggers up every so often.
Wouldn't be nice to pay off the house, the cars, the cards, etc, in a few years?
royalfan5
4/19/2006, 06:51 PM
You'll be f'ed when Cold fusion is harnessed though.
oumartin
4/19/2006, 06:53 PM
Actually you are hard pressed to find a welder for under $90.00 right now.
My advice to you. Stick with what you are doing.
Boom might last 10 years might last 2 weeks.
Actually you are hard pressed to find a welder for under $90.00 right now.
My advice to you. Stick with what you are doing.
Boom might last 10 years might last 2 weeks.
Yeah, but the thing is, with a Class A CDL, I can always get a job. Problem is I got a job that I really like right now and I'm home on nights and weekends. Heck, I don't even have a sleeper on my truck.
oilmud
4/19/2006, 06:57 PM
There are no holidays or weekends in the oilfield, always keep that in mind when looking at those wages.
Okla-homey
4/19/2006, 06:58 PM
Yeah, but the thing is, with a Class A CDL, I can always get a job. Problem is I got a job that I really like right now and I'm home on nights and weekends. Heck, I don't even have a sleeper on my truck.
plus, you get to keep all your fingers -- which is a plus.
Note: I don't really know if finger loss is a common occurence in the oilpatch these days, but when I was a kid, you could spot experienced roughnecks by the fact they often were missing a digit or two.
soonerscuba
4/19/2006, 07:02 PM
I'm getting kinda Okie nostalgic, I think I'm going to move to Cali and pick veggies, maybe kill a man and vow to help the poor, I don't know if I'll have time.
oilmud
4/19/2006, 07:03 PM
plus, you get to keep all your fingers -- which is a plus.
Note: I don't really know if finger loss is a common occurence in the oilpatch these days, but when I was a kid, you could spot experienced roughnecks by the fact they often were missing a digit or two.
Not uncommon and as this thing ramps up the worms are coming out of the woodwork.
oumartin
4/19/2006, 07:05 PM
you also need to look at benefits. are your benefits good where you are at? cuz most oilfield health insurance is alot more outta pocket that negates the extra dollar per hour you make.
Money isn't everything.. Being at home has its rewards.
are you wanting to find another driving job that can keep you home at night and on weekends cuz I know one
Okla-homey
4/19/2006, 07:15 PM
But worker's comp pays what...$500.00 for loss of a finger? That's good money!
Seriously, I respect the living shiite out of a man, and I do mean MAN who makes his living in the oilpatch. That said, it just seems to me if a feller already has a gig he digs and its paying the bills...why succumb to the allure of big money (and the substantial risks in working around all the other noobies) to work yer arse off and maybe get hurt bad.
you also need to look at benefits. are your benefits good where you are at? cuz most oilfield health insurance is alot more outta pocket that negates the extra dollar per hour you make.
Money isn't everything.. Being at home has its rewards.
are you wanting to find another driving job that can keep you home at night and on weekends cuz I know one
My benefits are very good. They take nothing out of my check for health and dental, plus I got a matching 401k, and the Christmas bonuses are in the 4 digits (left if the little decimal thingy) but dayamed, man, friggin welders are making what? 90 bucks an hour? That is serious dough.
But worker's comp pays what...$500.00 for loss of a finger? That's good money!
Seriously, I respect the living shiite out of a man, and I do mean MAN who makes his living in the oilpatch. That said, it just seems to me if a feller already has a gig he digs and its paying the bills...why succumb to the allure of big money (and the substantial risks in working around all the other noobies) to work yer arse off and maybe get hurt bad.
What I do now ain't exactly safe, either. Truck driving is usually listed in the "top 5 most dangerous jobs" category, and no, it's not from eating too many burgers and candy bars (and kealing over from a heart attack) - I've seen alot of very bad accidents in my short 3 years in this business.
The company I work for has around 200 drivers - 40 semis, and the rest are "10 wheelers" - one of them was killed last month.
RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!
4/19/2006, 07:28 PM
I worked in the oilfields in Louisiana during summers in college, when I was at OU in the '60's, and it was scary, indeed. A fella standing next to me had his index finger sticking on the inside of a pipe on the rig floor, when the new stand of pipe slammed into the finger. He went breathless. The driller pulled the glove off with the finger inside. He was flown out by chopper. Vivid impression.
oumartin
4/19/2006, 07:29 PM
welders also have to carry 1mil in liability insurance plus the cost of fuel these days is making it tougher.. I do see alot of them driving new rigs though. So its definately paying pretty well.
Good luck in whatever you do but the job you leave always looks better after you leave it. Trust me.
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 07:38 PM
welders also have to carry 1mil in liability insurance plus the cost of fuel these days is making it tougher.. I do see alot of them driving new rigs though. So its definately paying pretty well.
Good luck in whatever you do but the job you leave always looks better after you leave it. Trust me.
Tru dat , so i think Ill keep my current gig , drinkin beer and postin on the SO:D
SoonerInHouston
4/19/2006, 07:39 PM
As someone who has worked in the oilfield for the past 30 years, I would have to agree to stick with what you know best and avoid the oilpatch if you can. I have seen it come and go and I believe this business is due to crash sometime soon. As said earlier, could be weeks or could be years but it will happen. In the big bust of the early 80s about 80% of the workers lost their jobs.
OUHOMER
4/19/2006, 07:48 PM
well, if oil stays above 70 bucks a barrell, it well be a live for a while
AlbqSooner
4/19/2006, 07:52 PM
Having lived in Anadarko in the early to late 80's I saw first hand what life in the oil patch can be. There was money flowing in the gutters of the streets. But when it went bust, guys who were common laborers making $17/hour with time and a half over 40, averaging 65-70 hours per week, were suddenly fully unemployed and could not get a job at Burger King for minimum wage because the impact was so severe even those kinds of jobs were laying people off.
You always hear that "money isn't everything" and I know the reaction most of us have to that. But, I have been what some people would call wealthy on three occasions and ended up damn near broke all three. Once, after sinking every dime I could get my hands on into oil an gas boom and then watching the boom go bust, and twice after accumulating and then divorcing. I can honestly say that in my present circumstance, though a long way from wealthy, I am happier than when things were going "great" for me.
Spend time at home, enjoy the cold beer and comraderie of the SO or whatever, and thank God for what you have instead of asking Him for a bit more. Don't spend too much of your time thinking that if you just had a little better paying job, a little newer car, a little bigger house, a little prettier girlfriend, or whatever, that life would be perfect. It ain't ever gonna be perfect. Learn to recognize "pretty damn good" and then take time to enjoy and be grateful for it.
oumartin
4/19/2006, 07:56 PM
bravo AlbqSooner!
SoonerInHouston
4/19/2006, 07:57 PM
second that!!
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 08:07 PM
Having lived in Anadarko in the early to late 80's I saw first hand what life in the oil patch can be. There was money flowing in the gutters of the streets. But when it went bust, guys who were common laborers making $17/hour with time and a half over 40, averaging 65-70 hours per week, were suddenly fully unemployed and could not get a job at Burger King for minimum wage because the impact was so severe even those kinds of jobs were laying people off.
You always hear that "money isn't everything" and I know the reaction most of us have to that. But, I have been what some people would call wealthy on three occasions and ended up damn near broke all three. Once, after sinking every dime I could get my hands on into oil an gas boom and then watching the boom go bust, and twice after accumulating and then divorcing. I can honestly say that in my present circumstance, though a long way from wealthy, I am happier than when things were going "great" for me.
Spend time at home, enjoy the cold beer and comraderie of the SO or whatever, and thank God for what you have instead of asking Him for a bit more. Don't spend too much of your time thinking that if you just had a little better paying job, a little newer car, a little bigger house, a little prettier girlfriend, or whatever, that life would be perfect. It ain't ever gonna be perfect. Learn to recognize "pretty damn good" and then take time to enjoy and be grateful for it.
Dayum dude are our lives the same or what ?
I was a builder / developer in the early 80s in western Ok . Made a fortune , Lost it ole well :cool: 3 divorces later Im still broke :D . But happy
oumartin
4/19/2006, 08:10 PM
so vet, what western town did you go broke in?
BajaOklahoma
4/19/2006, 08:32 PM
We owned part of a Casing Company. Instead of spending wildly, we kept putting money back in the company. My husband had worked a deal to sell out his part of the compnay and retire in January, 1983.
Then July 5th, 1982 hit. We lost all of our investment in the company because people couldn't pay what they owed us. Equipment/parts were sitting around rusting because they were worth pennies on the dollar.
On the positive side, I was able to get a parttime job and pay all of our bills until Mr. Baja found something.
And one of our guys lost his left arm running casing pipe. I won't give you details, but I had nightmares for years over that.
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 08:38 PM
so vet, what western town did you go broke in?
Elk City
I built a lot of houses there and in surrounding areas .
When the bust hit I had 1.5 mil invested in an 80 acre development . Went out there afew months ago and dayum thats a nice gated community that I started :cool:
oumartin
4/19/2006, 08:39 PM
I was probably no more than 10 miles from you in sayre at the time you were in Elk City. But i was in grade school
Okla-homey
4/19/2006, 08:40 PM
I remember the pawnshop in Ardmore sure had a lot of Rolex's in the early eighties.
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 08:42 PM
We owned part of a Casing Company. Instead of spending wildly, we kept putting money back in the company. My husband had worked a deal to sell out his part of the compnay and retire in January, 1983.
Then July 5th, 1982 hit. We lost all of our investment in the company because people couldn't pay what they owed us. Equipment/parts were sitting around rusting because they were worth pennies on the dollar.
On the positive side, I was able to get a parttime job and pay all of our bills until Mr. Baja found something.
And one of our guys lost his left arm running casing pipe. I won't give you details, but I had nightmares for years over that.
That happened to alot of us , You must have been conservative to be able to pay your bills with a part time job :cool:
Ive said when they took
My office (over 8000 ft ) didnt bother me
Took my house = didnt bother me
Took my Lincoln didnt bother me
But when they took MY airplane I sat down and cryed like a baby :eek:
Okla-homey
4/19/2006, 08:45 PM
That happened to alot of us , You must have been conservative to be able to pay your bills with a part time job :cool:
Ive said when they took
My office (over 8000 ft ) didnt bother me
Took my house = didnt bother me
Took my Lincoln didnt bother me
But when they took MY airplane I sat down and cryed like a baby :eek:
Let go my airpwane, let go my airpwane...
<obscure song reference which seemed vaguely appropriate>
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 08:46 PM
I was probably no more than 10 miles from you in sayre at the time you were in Elk City. But i was in grade school
I left there in 83 , I woulda stayed but 1st exbeyounce wanted to leave so I tried to at least save the marriage :eek: Oh well I got the kids and raised em By myself lol ;) That was tuff to do in the 80s a dad get custody , hell they were just letting us in the delivery rooms then ;)
olevetonahill
4/19/2006, 08:48 PM
Let go my airpwane, let go my airpwane...
<obscure song reference which seemed vaguely appropriate>
very . lol
spek at you
By the way It was an 81 Piper Archer
Cost 55 thou then worth about a 125 thou now go figure
oumartin
4/19/2006, 08:50 PM
yeah, I was in sayre in them days.
Step dad worked for Welex for a time.
They say Elk City is growing pretty darn fast now too.
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