Jobs in the oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry offers far more than just working a rig - with over 200,000 UK jobs supported by oil and gas production, opportunities include the potential for travel and working abroad

How many jobs are available in oil and gas production?

The industry trade association Offshore Energies UK's (OEUK) Economy and People Report 2024 revealed that around 133,000 people work directly or indirectly with oil and gas companies and their supply chains.

This means the industry supports one in every 160 jobs across the UK, including around one in 30 roles in Scotland.

The Workforce Insight Report (December 2023) also showed that while most jobs (93,600) are based in Scotland, work is available nationwide, with both large and small companies taking on graduates.

So, whether you want to work offshore on an oil rig or in an office at a key energy hub (such as in the South East or North West of England), there's plenty of choice.

Is there a positive outlook for UK oil and gas?

The OEUK research highlighted that the oil and gas industry contributes 拢25 billion a year to the economy, with this revenue key to the UK's hopes of achieving its net-zero targets and securing its energy supply.

The Robert Gordon University (RGU) Energy Transition Institute's (ETI) Powering up the Workforce: The future of the UK offshore energy workforce report (2023) assessed the potential growth in UK jobs should the government's British Energy Security Strategy reach its energy goals.

They found that the offshore energy workforce would have the capacity to expand by almost 75,000 to 225,000 by 2030. They also note that 4,500 of the new entrants would be working in roles that don't currently exist.

Read more about the energy careers emerging over the coming years at MyEnergyFuture.

To diversify this traditionally male-dominated industry, the sector is encouraging more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Discover opportunities for women in engineering.

Where can I find oil and gas jobs?

Oil and gas jobs span a range of sectors, including:

catering
construction
manufacturing
professional services
transport.

You can search for vacancies on specialist recruitment websites and job boards, including:

In addition, OEUK provides a members directory of oil and gas companies, meaning you can easily search for opportunities on employers' sites.

Which oil and gas employers run graduate schemes?

Many of the world's largest and most recognisable multinational companies in the oil and gas industry have structured graduate schemes, including:

BP - roles are available in drilling, offshore structural, pipelines, petroleum and reservoir engineering. There are also scientific positions in geophysics, petroleum and reservoir engineering and petrophysics.
BW Offshore - a three-year programme where you could work both onshore and offshore in locations worldwide and spend time in different business areas.
Centrica - the parent company of British Gas offers various schemes, including energy trading and process engineering.
Chevron - positioned in the Aberdeen office of the Global Technology Centre (GTC), you could be involved with research, development and technical support for the company's upstream, downstream, global gas and emerging energy operations.
ExxonMobil - opportunities exist in downstream process, drilling and subsurface, reservoir and subsea, and chemical process engineering, among other areas.
National Gas - its construction scheme allows you to work on hydrogen and carbon transportation projects and gain experience in design development, project management and construction execution.
Scottish Power - offers a range of streams for aspiring engineers, technical experts and future business leaders.
Shell - the technical graduate programmes are related to civil, offshore, pipelines, and process and petroleum engineering.
TotalEnergies - you could work in geoscience and reservoir or drilling and well operations.

What do oil and gas jobs involve?

Employers require graduates with varying interests and academic backgrounds. If you join a technical graduate programme, you can expect to work on onshore or offshore projects with an engineering or scientific focus. However, office-based accounting and human resources (HR) roles are also available.

For example, you could be a:

chef supporting the workforce on an oil rig
chemist undertaking research and development
environmental consultant ensuring standards are met
subsea engineer designing and installing underwater equipment.

Alternatively, you could work on sustainable energy futures, climate change and international development for an energy giant such as Scottish Power.

What are the entry requirements for graduate schemes?

You'll need to have, or be expecting, a second class degree to gain entry to a scheme. However, options are still available if you don't achieve a 2:1. Depending on your specialism, specific requirements for your degree subject may exist, particularly for engineering and science graduate programmes.

For instance, Scottish Power seeks engineering graduates with a 2:2 or above in electrical, mechanical or energy engineering for its role in North West England.

Alternatively, you'll typically need one of the following subjects to be eligible for the Centrica Energy scheme, with streams in business management and commodity trading analysis:

Some graduate programmes, such as Shell's technical pathways, also demand a postgraduate qualification.

Search for postgraduate courses in oil and gas.

Where can I find an oil or gas apprenticeship?

Oil and gas apprenticeships are available from leading energy firms, including:

If you live in Scotland and are interested in learning the theory behind the energy technician role before putting it into practice, consider an APTUS apprenticeship.

This programme involves spending 21 months studying at a college in Scotland and two years working for an energy company across the UK.

Participating organisations include:

Apache
Bluewater
Semco
Serica Energy
Wood.

You can choose one of the following disciplines:

electrical maintenance
instrument and control maintenance
mechanical maintenance
process operations.

You'll need to reside in Scotland and be at least 16 by May of the year you're applying. There's no upper age limit.

Regarding Scottish qualifications, you'll require four National 5 grades at A-C in maths and English language (or four GCSEs at grades 4-9, including maths and English). It's also advantageous to have previously studied:

chemistry
engineering science
physics.

If you studied in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you should also hold a GCSE in:

double science
chemistry
physics
or an appropriate technology subject.

Learn more about apprenticeships in general.

What's life like in the oil industry?

Working onshore

Although the popular image of oil and gas jobs is of engineers working on an oil rig, around 90% of roles are based onshore.

Most onshore jobs are based in so-called 'hubs' where many industry employers gather. These include Aberdeen and London, where you will most likely be office-based and work regular hours.

However, it's a global industry, so you'll likely get to travel or even work abroad at some point. Therefore, employers highly value language skills, especially for business-oriented jobs.

Engineering roles typically involve extracting, processing, and distributing oil and gas resources on land.

According to OilJobFinder, you can expect the work to:

be physically demanding
require a high level of concentration
continue despite all types of weather
involve shiftwork.

The offshore experience

If you work offshore, you'll likely be stationed on a platform or rig at sea. The primary focus will be to extract oil and gas from beneath the seabed.

You'll typically work 12-hour shifts for two or three weeks, spending significant periods away from home. Then, you'll have the same amount of time off work. This job can be isolating, so you'll need firm resolve and determination.

Offshore work also requires you to be physically fit and adhere to strict safety protocols.

What additional skills and training are needed offshore?

For offshore roles, you must take an industry-standard health and safety course such as the Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST).

Oil and gas safety and development courses are also available at the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO), the global skills body for the energy industry.

These include:

Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) - essential knowledge and skills for offshore safety and emergency response.
Further Offshore Emergency Training (FOET) - further offshore safety and emergency response training for new or returning workers supplied with an emergency breathing system (EBS) during offshore helicopter travel.

How much can you earn working in this industry?

Salaries in the oil and gas industry vary depending on your role, but it can be a rewarding career choice.

According to Reed, these are the average salaries for the top ten oil and gas jobs:

completion engineer - 拢100,000
drilling consultant - 拢150,000 or higher, depending on location
gas engineer - 拢14,000, rising to 拢30,000
offshore driller - 拢30,000 to 拢50,000
oil trader - 拢50,000 to 拢70,000
petroleum geologist- 拢50,000
pipeline engineer - 拢50,000, with senior engineers earning 拢70,000
refining engineer - 拢60,000
risk manager - 拢50,000 to 拢70,000
subsea engineer - 拢70,000.

Discover more roles by viewing our energy and utilities job profiles.

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