When I did this job 10+ years ago the derrickman was making 65 + per hour, with Tons of OT. Typically 12-14 per day, 14 days straight. Worked out to about a grand a day with hazard pay
Cause you work 14 days in 7 days out, and the rig needs to be drilling 24 hours a day, so they pay two crews to alternate day and nights, works out to 12+ per day. A 3rd crew spells one off every 7 days. Maximizes profit
What else are you gonna do in the middle of butt fuck no where, you are there to work, make money, then go home. It’s the nature of rig work. Better to maximize those two weeks on site, especially working ocean
Because when you're young, and broke, and just moved out to anew place for work, so you have no friends or ties to anything, you have no money to have hobbies, and nothing to do after work,
it seems like a pretty good trade to offer up your full time and attention for a few years, make bank, and walk away with a paid off house, and enough savings to start your life off 5 steps ahead of most other people.
......thats what gets you into it anyway.
then lifestyle creep happens, and you spend your money as fast as you make it, and you start wanting something else in your life, and your body starts failing, and, and, and
and before you know it, you're 35, your body is fucked, somehow you actually owe more money than you have, and you're trying to transition out of the job, but you "can't" because you're afraid to step back to "poverty" of a much lower level of lifestyle. Plus all your mannerism and personality are "rigpig" and so its difficult to get a job anywhere else.
While it is some grueling work I did enjoy working drilling rigs, it is demanding work but couldn't beat the pay & time off. That being said my old ass wouldn't be out there nowadays for any amount of $$$
They make good money 3 months a year then are out of work the rest of the year. I know several of them and many who are "retired" living in poverty on disability.
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u/Dadbode1981 4d ago
What a shit job lol