Energy and Oil Careers: Options and Requirements

Energy and oil careers include everything from finding oil in the ground to using nuclear energy to generate electric power. Electric energy generation, transmission, natural gas pipeline operation and oil refinery operation all provide career options.

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Energy and Oil Careers Options

Energy careers are found in these industries: electric power generation and transmission, oil exploration and production and petroleum refining and transportation. Engineers and technicians build and operate electric power transmission grids and plants that produce electric power, such as hydroelectric, wind, nuclear, coal or natural gas. Geoscientists, engineers and rotary drilling rig crews search for and produce oil. Pipeline, refinery and natural gas plant operators transport oil products and break them into their components.

Energy Careers

Careers are available in non-oil energy industries, including nuclear and hydroelectric energy, and renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. Some common job titles in this field include renewable energy engineer, wind turbine technician, hydroelectric power dispatcher, nuclear power plant operator and energy analyst. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that research and development jobs in wind energy may include options for aerospace, civil, electrical and environmental engineers (www.bls.gov).

Careers in Oil and Other Fossil Fuels

Industries producing oil and energy derived from fossil fuels also offer several career options. Careers can be found in drilling for oil or natural gas on land and at sea, pipeline construction and maintenance and mining. Petroleum geologists and engineers, seismologists, geoscientists, oil or coal power plant operators and oilfield workers are all employed by oil and fossil fuel energy companies.

Energy and Oil Careers Requirements

Education and training requirements for careers in oil and energy can vary widely depending on the job. Some jobs, such as rotary drilling crew or roughneck jobs, only require a high school diploma. Other jobs in this industry, including research and development jobs, may entail earning a bachelor's degree or a graduate degree in a related field.

Engineers and Geoscientists

Engineering careers in energy and oil require at least a bachelor's degree in engineering with a concentration in a specific field. Engineers who offer services directly to the public must be licensed by their state. The BLS reported that entry-level positions are available for geoscientists with a bachelor's degree, but a master's degree is generally preferred. Some states require geoscientists to be licensed.

Salary and Employment Outlook

The BLS expected petroleum engineers to see an increase in employment, by about 26%, from 2012 until 2022, while geoscientists could see 16% employment growth. The related field of geological and petroleum technicians, who often work in subordinate positions to geologists and petroleum engineers, were predicted to see a 15% employment growth rate. As of May 2012, petroleum engineers earned $130,280 in median wages, while geoscientists earned $90,890 and geological and petroleum technicians earned $52,700.

Power Plant Operators

A high school diploma is a minimum requirement for plant operators and dispatchers. According to the BLS, on-the-job training and practical experience is often a requirement. Some power plant operators may need to be licensed. Technical colleges offer programs in power plant technology that provide practical experience and may meet job requirements. Operators who work for nuclear power plants need a bachelor's degree in engineering or experience working with a licensed nuclear power plant operator.

Salary and Employment Outlook

The BLS expected power plant operators to see an eight percent decline in employment from 2012 to 2022. The median salary, as of May 2012, was $66,130.

Technicians and Oilfield Workers

The wind power industry is still developing in the United States so required education and training are not uniform. The BLS reports that community colleges and technical schools now offer certificates and associate's degrees in wind turbine maintenance. Energy technicians in all fields need a minimum of an associate's degree or specialized training. Oilfield workers must be at least 18 years old and physically strong but they don't necessarily need a high school diploma.

Salary and Employment Outlook

The BLS doesn't have employment outlook predictions for wind turbine service technicians; however, it reported their median salary as $45,970 in May 2012. Oil and gas roustabouts earned a median of $34,130 as of May 2012.

The paint industry estimated to double by 2016: Leading players hopeful

AC Nielsen in its latest report based on the data available on the coating industry for the year 2011-12 has valued the Indian paint industry at Rs 26,000 crore with 71 per cent of it being decorative paints and the remaining being industrial.

In volume terms, the size of the industry is 3.1 million tonnes with decorative paints being 2.4 million tonnes and industrial paints being 0.7 million tonnes. The per capita paint consumption has been estimated to be 2.57 kgs.

The highlights of the report were announced today at the 26 th Indian Paint Conference at Mumbai.
The paint market is estimated to double to Rs 50,000 crore by 2016 with per capita consumption increasing to over 4 kgs. Industry leaders are hopeful of achieving the ambitious growth over the next four years.
According to the various head honchos of the paint companies assembled at the conference, the growth in the market is going to be driven by emergence of the middle class in India, increase in the propensity to spend and growing young population tending to stay in nuclear families.
The demand for industrial paint is going to be driven by the pick-up in the automobile industry and growth in infrastructure in a country like India. "Infrastructure is at the lowest level in the country today, hence we see a sustained growth in the industrial paints business", said H M Bharuka, managing director, Kansai Nerolac Paints.
With reference to the rising input cost, KBS Anand, managing director of Asian Paints said, "We have to learn to live with volatility in prices".
Demand in China is the major factor that drives the input cost for the industry and this demand is expected to pickup leading to rise in raw material prices within a year, he added.