10 highest paid contract jobs in oil and gas industry

Australia once again tops the list of the ten highest paying jobs in oil and gas released by Swift Worldwide Resources, but Nigeria is a new country on the list that ranks just below the returning leader.

(PRNewsFoto/Swift Worldwide Resources)
(PRNewsFoto/Swift Worldwide Resources)

The list was compiled by analyzing Swift’s 250 contract positions in the oil and gas industry in 30 locations across the globe, for a total of 7,500 total jobs. Countries that are represented for the first time include Nigeria, Venezuela and Angola. No jobs in the U.S. cracked the list of highest paying this year. The complete list of the “Ten Highest Paid Contract Jobs in Oil and Gas” is as follows:

  1. Completion Manager in Australia: up to $3075 per day
  2. Drilling Manager in Australia: up to $2942 per day
  3. Drilling Manager in Nigeria: up to $2844 per day
  4. Project Services Director in Nigeria: up to $2817 per day
  5. Drilling Manager in Iraq: up to $2766 per day
  6. Completion Manager in Venezuela: up to $2715 per day
  7. Project Manager in Iraq: up to $2700 per day
  8. Subsea Manager in Australia: up to $2692 per day
  9. Drilling Manager in Angola: up to $2631 per day
  10. Completion Manager in Iraq: up to $2624 per day

“As a global staffing company, we’re able to track shifts in the way jobs are compensated in different regions,” said Swift CEO Tobias Read. “High project workloads and a shortage of skilled talent have kept compensation high in Australia. Both Iraq and Nigeria have seen unprecedented growth in industry activity, and workers there are compensated for the risks that come with working in the more dangerous areas, accounting for the increase in salary ranges. Salaries in the U.S. are climbing, but salaries in these emerging markets are climbing faster.” Countries aren’t the only things to change on the list this year. Certain job titles, like Completion Manager and Drilling Manager, are suddenly in demand and well-compensated due to increases in upstream and drilling activity around the world. Swift experts predict that as exploration becomes more competitive across major oil companies, skilled workers in these positions will be drawing even higher compensations. [mappress]