Getting into the oil business can mean landing a field job, investing in mineral rights, or starting an oil-related service company. Each path has different requirements, costs, and timelines. The oil and gas industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers across drilling, production, transportation, and refining, and it remains one of the few industries where you can earn well above average wages without a four-year degree.
Start With Entry-Level Field Work
The most direct way into the oil business is taking a hands-on job in the field. You don’t need a degree or prior experience for many of these positions. The most common starting roles are roustabout and floorhand, which involve physical labor on drilling rigs or production sites: moving equipment, maintaining machinery, cleaning work areas, and assisting more experienced crew members. These positions currently pay $25 to $34.50 an hour, which translates to roughly $52,000 to $72,000 a year before overtime. In practice, overtime is common, and many field workers earn significantly more.
Other entry-level roles include lease operator, pipeline locating technician ($18/hour and up), transloader operator ($19/hour and up), and vacuum truck operator ($17 to $20/hour). If you have an engineering or science degree, entry-level field engineer positions start at $55,000 to $70,000 a year. Field safety technician roles, which require some training but not necessarily a degree, pay $81,000 to $96,250.
To find these jobs, look at postings from drilling contractors, well service companies, and production operators. Most major oilfield employers recruit through online job boards and their own websites. Being willing to relocate to an active drilling region and work rotational schedules (often two weeks on, one week off) dramatically increases your chances of getting hired.
Certifications You’ll Need
Field and offshore work requires specific safety training before you can set foot on a job site. For onshore work, many employers require SafeLand or a similar basic oilfield safety orientation, which typically takes one day and covers hazard awareness, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment. You’ll also need a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) for many roles involving heavy equipment or transport.
Offshore work has stricter requirements. Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) is mandatory for most offshore positions. This multi-day course covers helicopter safety, sea survival, firefighting, and first aid. BOSIET certification is valid for four years, after which you need to complete a refresher course called FOET (Further Offshore Emergency Training) or retake the full BOSIET. You’ll also need Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), which teaches you how to escape a submerged helicopter cabin. HUET is also valid for four years.
A valid offshore medical certificate is required before you can work on any platform. As you advance, specialized certifications become important. Well control certificates, issued by the International Well Control Forum (IWCF) or the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), are required for drilling roles and expire every two years. API certifications for pipeline inspection, pressure vessel inspection, and tank inspection are valuable for career advancement and are valid for three years.
If you work at or near ports, refineries, or maritime facilities, you may need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), a federal background check and ID card issued by TSA.
Build a Career Through Advancement
The oil field has a well-defined promotion ladder. A typical drilling rig progression goes from roustabout to floorhand, then motorman, derrickman, driller, and eventually toolpusher (the person who manages the entire rig crew). Each step up comes with more responsibility and significantly higher pay. Experienced drillers and toolpushers can earn $100,000 to $150,000 or more annually.
The timeline depends on your work ethic and the pace of drilling activity. Moving from roustabout to driller can take anywhere from three to seven years. Staying with one employer, volunteering for extra training, and maintaining a clean safety record all accelerate the process. Lateral moves are also possible: many field workers transition into roles like production operations, pipeline maintenance, safety management, or inspection work as they gain experience.
Invest in Mineral Rights
If you want to earn money from oil without working in the field, buying mineral rights is one option. Mineral rights are the legal ownership of underground resources like oil and gas beneath a piece of land. These rights can be bought and sold separately from the surface property. In areas with a long history of oil and gas development, it’s common for mineral rights to be owned by someone different from the surface landowner.
When you own mineral rights, you can lease them to an oil company. The company (the lessee) pays you (the lessor) a bonus at signing plus ongoing royalty payments, typically a percentage of the revenue from any oil or gas produced. The mineral estate is legally dominant, meaning the leaseholder has the right to use the surface as reasonably necessary for exploration and production.
Finding mineral rights to buy takes research. County courthouse records show who owns mineral interests in a given area. Online mineral rights marketplaces and auction sites list available parcels. You can also work with a landman, a professional who specializes in researching ownership and negotiating mineral transactions. Prices vary enormously depending on location, existing production, and geologic potential. Producing mineral rights (those already generating royalty income) cost more upfront but provide immediate cash flow. Non-producing rights in promising areas are cheaper but speculative.
Before buying, you need a title search to confirm the seller actually owns what they’re selling and that there are no conflicting claims. This is not a passive, hands-off investment. You’ll need to understand lease terms, negotiate royalty rates, and monitor production reports.
Start an Oilfield Service Company
Many people enter the oil business not by drilling wells themselves but by providing services to companies that do. Oilfield service companies handle everything from hauling water and sand to welding, equipment rental, wireline services, and environmental cleanup. Starting a service company requires less capital than drilling a well but still demands significant investment in equipment, insurance, and compliance.
The most accessible service businesses to start include hot shot trucking (expedited delivery of parts and equipment), water hauling, roustabout crews, and equipment rental. A single hot shot truck and trailer can cost $50,000 to $100,000 to set up, while a water hauling operation requires a commercial truck and tank, proper licensing, and insurance. Roustabout crews need tools, a work truck, and the right safety certifications for every crew member.
Winning contracts means building relationships with operators and drilling companies. Most oilfield service work comes through word of mouth, direct sales, and being on approved vendor lists. Getting on those lists requires proof of insurance, safety programs, and often a track record of reliable work. Starting as a subcontractor for an established service company is a practical way to build that track record before going after contracts directly.
Work the Business Side
Not every oil business career involves hard hats. The industry needs landmen who research property records and negotiate leases, geologists and engineers who identify where to drill, accountants who handle complex revenue distribution, and sales professionals who move equipment, chemicals, and technology. Many of these roles require a college degree, but landman work is one notable exception. Certification programs for land professionals exist, and many landmen start as field researchers learning to read courthouse records before advancing to negotiating deals.
Corporate roles at oil companies, refineries, and pipeline operators cover finance, human resources, supply chain management, regulatory compliance, and IT. These positions are found in energy hubs but increasingly allow remote work for non-operational roles. Salaries for business-side oil and gas professionals tend to be competitive with or higher than equivalent roles in other industries, partly because companies need to attract talent willing to work in a cyclical business.
Understand the Industry’s Cycles
Oil prices drive everything in this business. When prices are high, companies drill more wells, hire more workers, and pay premium rates for services. When prices drop, layoffs happen fast and service companies lose contracts overnight. This boom-and-bust pattern has defined the industry for decades and shows no signs of changing.
If you’re entering as a worker, this means building an emergency fund during good times and being prepared for periods of reduced work. If you’re starting a service company, keep your debt manageable so you can survive a downturn without going under. If you’re investing in mineral rights, understand that royalty income fluctuates with commodity prices and production rates. The people who build lasting careers and businesses in oil are the ones who plan for the down cycles, not just the booms.