Oilfield career guide
Straight answers to help you get hired in the Basin, written from the job listings we collect every day.
- Delaware Basin jobs: the complete guideWhere the jobs are, who is hiring and how to apply.
- Oilfield jobs with no experienceEntry-level roles that train you, and how to stand out.
- Oilfield certificationsSafeLand, H2S, CDL and other tickets employers ask for.
- Hitch and rotation jobs14/14, 7/7 and other schedules, with open jobs that list them.
Guides by job type
- Engineering & GeoscienceEngineers, geologists and landmen plan where and how wells are drilled and produced. Roles include drilling, completions, production, reservoir and facilities engineers, geoscientists, and land professionals who handle leases and mineral rights.
- CDL DriverOilfield CDL drivers haul water, sand, crude, chemicals, pipe and equipment between yards, well sites and disposal wells. Many runs are on lease roads, so the work is part driving and part hands-on at the site.
- Frac & CompletionsCompletions crews get a drilled well ready to produce. Frac crews pump water, sand and chemicals at high pressure, wireline crews run tools and perforating guns into the well, and coiled tubing, cementing and flowback crews handle the steps around them.
- Drilling & Rig CrewRig crews run the drilling rig around the clock. Floorhands (roughnecks) handle pipe on the rig floor, derrickhands work up in the derrick and run the mud pumps, motormen look after engines, and drillers run the rig with a rig manager (toolpusher) over the crew.
- Welder & FabricationOilfield welders and fabricators build and repair pipelines, facilities, tanks and equipment, in shops and on location. Pipefitters and machinists work alongside them.
- Roustabout & Field LaborRoustabouts and field hands do the general labor that keeps leases running: building and repairing equipment, laying flowline, cleaning tanks and sites, and helping skilled crews. It is one of the easiest ways to start in the oilfield.
- Pumper & ProductionPumpers and lease operators look after producing wells every day. They check pumping units, tanks and separators, record production, troubleshoot equipment and call in repairs. Production operators and gas plant operators run processing facilities.
- Mechanic & TechnicianOilfield mechanics and technicians keep engines, pumps, compressors, trucks and electrical systems running. That includes diesel mechanics, compression technicians, I&E (instrumentation and electrical) technicians and maintenance techs.
- Safety & HSESafety and HSE (health, safety and environment) staff keep crews safe and operations compliant. They run safety meetings, inspect sites, investigate incidents and handle environmental and regulatory work.
- IT, Data & SoftwareIT and data roles support the systems behind oil and gas operations, from SCADA and automation that monitor wells remotely to networks, software and data analysis.
- Office, Land & ManagementOffice, land and management roles keep the business running: supervisors and foremen over field crews, plus accounting, purchasing, coordination, administration and management.
- Warehouse, Equipment & QCWarehouse, equipment and quality jobs keep parts, pipe and equipment moving: material handlers, forklift and machine operators, yard workers and inspectors.