You may have heard that offshore oil workers earn a lot of money. Well oil workers actually swim in money, but not everybody understands the nature of their job that warrants the huge salary they receive every month. In this post, we will discuss the offshore salary structure and allowance.

Offshore workers belong to a segment of the oil and gas workforce who base and work on the coastal regions of the country. They usually stay for a long time away from their families and have to cope with the physical and mental demands of their jobs.

Popular offshore companies operating in Nigeria who pay these huge salaries include Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell Petroleum Development Company, and others.

Offshore Salary in Nigeria and designations

Below are the positions and how offshore oil workers are being paid;

1. Offshore Drilling Consultants

An offshore drilling consultant supervises the day-to-day operations and activities in the oil rig. They also provide consultancy and advisory services on drilling issues.

This set of offshore workers are very vital, and they earn between 51 and 102 million Naira yearly.

Offshore Installation Managers: OIMs oversee the maintenance and repair of equipment in the oil rig.

They ensure compliance to rules and regulations regarding activities in the rig, and are trained to handle emergencies, should they occur. Offshore Installation Managers earn between 62 to 88.9 million Naira per year.

2. Maintenance/Production Supervisors

This set of offshore workers liaise with the Consultants, Engineers, and Offshore Installation Managers to fix issues relating to production and maintenance in the oil rig.

As part of their job description, they are to ensure that electrical and production machines are at their best at all times, to meet the company’s target.

They earn around 38.8 and 86 million Naira yearly, though this may differ with some Companies as this is an entry-level pay for some.

3. Subsea/Chemical Process Engineers

Though they carry out administrative functions during pipeline installations, the job of a Subsea/Chemical Process Engineer is basically to design and install equipment which would be needed for the drilling and production of oil and gas. They earn between 27 and 67.8 million Naira yearly.

4. Reservoir Engineers/Drilling Engineers

They get and interpret data provided by Geologist to create simulation models which would guide them to find out the direction of oil flow in rocks.

They are also involved in the process of management and budgeting for drilling operations. Their annual take-home pay is between 26 and 66 million Naira.

5. Geologists

Offshore Geologists are trained to conduct surveys and seismic analysis, then come up with data which would be used by the consultants to detect oil deposits and by extension, make plans for drilling. Their annual pay is between 23 and 65 million Naira.

6. Workover or Completion Staff

These set of workers are entrusted with the welfare of the oil well and are the go-to people if any technical issue has to be fixed. They also construct oil wells following designs and specifications. Their salary is between 20 and 65.1 million Naira per year.

7. Tanker Captains

Tanker Captains are paid between 15 million to 40 million Naira yearly. It is their duty to convey large container vessels from the shore to the ports safely. They also ensure the safe offloading of cargo at the ports.

8. Marine Engineers

Their duty involves repairing faulty equipment, construction of offshore equipment (rigs and pipeline), and design/maintenance of marine engineering systems. They earn between 25 to 55.8 million yearly.

9. Helicopter Pilots/Divers

The annual basic salary of Helicopter pilots/divers stays between 27 and 45 million Naira per annum.

The nature of their job involves emergency air ambulance operation, evacuation of sick or injured personnel to an onshore health facility, and shuttling of workers and cargo from offshore to onshore, and others.

Offshore Salary Structure In Nigeria (see details)