Oil and Gas engineering salaries - 2018 update.

[ExtraSlow]

Hey guys, have had some opportunities pop up, and want to be prepared to answer the dreaded salary expectation question.

One in particular is a bit of a step back from my previous roles, but is a good company and a neat role. Besides, it'll be more than I make sitting at home in my underwear posting on beyond.ca.

For the sake of comparison, what's typical o&g producer base salary for a P. Eng. With 5-7 years experience? Would you say this is down from 2015?

Base salary only - I have a good handle on the bonus/rrsp/benefits etc.

[suntan]

From what I've heard, they'll show you the compensation package, and it's take it or leave it.

[ExtraSlow]

From what I've heard, they'll show you the compensation package, and it's take it or leave it.

Yeah, I'd take it. But when they ask you in the interview about your expected salary range, it's helpful to have a number in mind.
Trust me, I'm not turning down any offers or holding out for some expectation. I'm way past that bullshit.

[suntan]

I'm not sure they're going to ask you. They're just going to give you "this is what we think your compensation should be" and then you should be appreciative and grovel and perhaps kiss their shoes.

[realazy]

For the sake of comparison, what's typical o&g producer base salary for a P. Eng. With 5-7 years experience? Would you say this is down from 2015?

Base salary only - I have a good handle on the bonus/rrsp/benefits etc.

I would say it's between 85k-120k. With 120k for 7 yrs exp being quite rare nowadays. This is what i would expect including all the years of little to no raises and/or pay cuts between 2015 and now.

[ExtraSlow]

I'm not sure they're going to ask you. well, some companies are still asking, because I was recently asked this exact question in an interview.

- - - Updated - - -


I would say it's between 85k-120k. With 120k for 7 yrs exp being quite rare nowadays. This is what i would expect including all the years of little to no raises and/or pay cuts between 2015 and now.

Thanks, that's a very detailed and helpful answer.

[Mitsu3000gt]

From what I've heard, they'll show you the compensation package, and it's take it or leave it.

Every O&G job I have ever been interviewed for (both major and smaller companies) has asked me salary expectations, and every job I have ever had in O&G has had a very negotiable salary/comp package. This includes 2015 - 2018. I've had multiple prior work colleagues who have also changed jobs since 2015 and it was the same for them, not "take it or leave it".

[Disoblige]

5-7 years total, or 5-7 years as a P.Eng?

[suntan]

Every O&G job I have ever been interviewed for (both major and smaller companies) has asked me salary expectations, and every job I have ever had in O&G has had a very negotiable salary/comp package. This includes 2015 - 2018. I've had multiple prior work colleagues who have also changed jobs since 2015 and it was the same for them, not "take it or leave it".

How many jobs have you had in the past three years?

[Sugarphreak]

...

[killramos]

People are still 100% asking salary expectations, doesn’t mean you will get it but the question gets asked. But hey my anecdotal evidence is as good as anyone else’s.

I don’t want to comment on what salary is reasonable, that’s going to vary 100% on where you are interviewing and what you bring to the table. I am sure lots of people are being hired for 50k a year and yet some are still being hired for 200+. Anything else would just be pulling numbers out of my ass like anyone else.

If anything I would say things have just stagnated the past few years rather than trend in any direction definitively. There are just fewer roles out there.

I realize that isn’t very helpful...

[ExtraSlow]

5-7 years total, or 5-7 years as a P.Eng?

I'm more than this, but what I'm saying is 5-7 years total experience.

[Mitsu3000gt]

How many jobs have you had in the past three years?

Same job as far as I was concerned, but the company merged once and changed owners/management twice in the last 3 years and each time they went through a full interview / salary negotiation process and adjusted staff. During that time I also had 4 interviews with major O&G companies in town, every single one asked for salary expectations. Pre-2015 I have worked for 4 other O&G companies and exact same story - always asked salary expectations and always negotiable. I'm very thankful that I've never been unemployed in my career and I've been through 2 major downturns now. I've had my salary cut before early in the downturn, and that was even negotiable.

From my experience and also every colleague I've ever talked to during the job hunt, being told "Take it or leave it" or not being asked salary expectations would be highly unusual in O&G.

[Disoblige]

I'm more than this, but what I'm saying is 5-7 years total experience.
Ah okay. If that is the case, realazy's range for base is accurate.

[90_Shelby]

We hired a guy recently and there were a few good candidates that we passed on because their salary expectations were too high.

[JDMMAN]

ExtraSlow - find yourself a copy of the HAYS salary guide, it'll give you an idea of where the market is. That said, you're definitely competing against folks with more experience (and/or relevant experience).

In my prior experience as the hiring manager and working w/ HR on determining the salary ranges, generally HAYS and Towers were used as guidelines.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Do you have any friends or prior work colleagues that work in HR? If so, ask them - that's what I did and it was very helpful the last time I switched jobs. They were able to give me a range based on commonly used industry sources, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. Compensation is ridiculously complicated. Some companies just pay more or less. Also you have so many other things that factor into total comp like STIP, LTIP/stocks, RRSP matching, parking, vacation, designated days off or half day Fridays or whatever, health coverage, health spending accounts, etc. that can boost your income immensely - unless you know what those are likely to be, it's even harder to negotiate a fair salary. Usually though my strategy has always been to prioritize base salary - everything else can be taken away more easily if times are tough, and most other compensation is calculated off of your salary.

[ExtraSlow]

Been some excellent info in this thread. I've been able to piece together what I need.

Also very clear different people look at this different ways. Some of you work in "engineering firms" while others work at producer companies. Compensation strategy is very different between those.

I've got the answers I needed. Hopefully others also find this topic helpful.

[killramos]

Best of luck Slow, with your level of consideration and dedication I am sure you will be a star candidate.

[vengie]

For 5-7 years of experience I would expect the salary range to be between $70-$100k.

That said I work at a service company and our salaries are typically lower than producers, but the total comp is usually comparable or higher. The structure is set up this way to allow the company some flexibility in the down times and avoid layoffs.

Best of luck! :clap:

[mr2mike]

Most service companies are feast or famine.
Producers have a pretty steady salary so when the service company jacks their rates way up based on demand they can afford to pay the increase.

[schurchill39]

I would say it's between 85k-120k. With 120k for 7 yrs exp being quite rare nowadays. This is what i would expect including all the years of little to no raises and/or pay cuts between 2015 and now.

I am sure this is what you mean, Extraslow, when you say you've got your answer because this is pretty much the range of my entire friend group who work at producers. Everyone has 5-8 years experience and their base salaries falls within this range depending on role and producer. To narrow the range a little more I'd even say 95-110k if you've got a proven track record of producing good work with little to no supervision. As you mentioned all of the other benefits vary greatly but for base pay this gets you right in the pocket.

[Ekliptix]

Dang, I thought engineers at E&Ps made way more then what ppl are posting here, but I've only worked on the service/technology/sales side (13 yrs same company).

[ExtraSlow]

Dang, I thought engineers at E&Ps made way more then what ppl are posting here, but I've only worked on the service/technology/sales side (13 yrs same company).
Sales is where the big money is. Well , during good years E&P shares paid out a hell of a lot, but nobody makes money on those these days.

[dandia89]

Dang, I thought engineers at E&Ps made way more then what ppl are posting here, but I've only worked on the service/technology/sales side (13 yrs same company).

I know several people who weren't laid off and continued working with the producer company, easily making $120k-$150k with with 6-8 years exp. It's all the people who've been laid off and getting that post-recession salary. I'd say 5-7 years you should expect 80-100k, any contractor company it could be as low as 65k

[Aleks]

Dang, I thought engineers at E&Ps made way more then what ppl are posting here, but I've only worked on the service/technology/sales side (13 yrs same company).

Base salary isn't going to be hugely different between companies. What I found can vary big time is all the other perks, long term, short term, bonuses that can add significantly to the base salary each year.

[ExtraSlow]

I know several people who weren't laid off and continued working with the producer company, easily making $120k-$150k with with 6-8 years exp. If you are talking base salary, that's an outlier, well above average for that age range.


Base salary isn't going to be hugely different between companies. What I found can vary big time is all the other perks, long term, short term, bonuses that can add significantly to the base salary each year. Yeah, long term incentive can be very significant if your company is hitting it's targets. Oh how I miss those days. . . .

[Disoblige]

If you are talking base salary, that's an outlier, well above average for that age range.

Yeah, long term incentive can be very significant if your company is hitting it's targets. Oh how I miss those days. . . .
Ya, I think dandia is talking about total or something. No way someone is getting $150k base with that total experience level.

With that said, the ranges can be pretty crazy if we are not talking about base simply due to all the variables involved.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Dang, I thought engineers at E&Ps made way more then what ppl are posting here, but I've only worked on the service/technology/sales side (13 yrs same company).

I learned the exact same thing in this thread haha - I thought PEng's at producers with that much experience were making way more (base salary) than is suggested here.

[nzwasp]

https://go.hays.ca/rs/855-IQZ-733/images/Hays-2018SalaryGuide-digital.pdf

Resources and Mining starts at Page 168

[Aleks]

At 5-7 years, you have been a P.Eng for 1-3 years. That's not what I would call huge experience. It is at P.Eng level that at a lot of producers you can start to get extras. Again at Intermediate and Senior levels things change as you get more perks. At leadership levels again things change, the higher up the ladder you go the less the base salary means in terms of your total compensation.

[Disoblige]

I learned the exact same thing in this thread haha - I thought PEng's at producers with that much experience were making way more (base salary) than is suggested here.
Not sure why you would think that. Most people at this experience level just begin knowing what they are really doing. However, the total compensation is often times very different from base, which is why I mentioned how base really varies greatly from total.

I have seen total compensation for field engineers over $200k for someone with 7-8 years experience.

[dandia89]

Ya, I think dandia is talking about total or something. No way someone is getting $150k base with that total experience level.

With that said, the ranges can be pretty crazy if we are not talking about base simply due to all the variables involved.

yeah this was total compensation w/ bonus. should have clarified.

these are big producer companies, a bunch of them did an anonymous survey out to each other.

[Neil4Speed]

https://go.hays.ca/rs/855-IQZ-733/images/Hays-2018SalaryGuide-digital.pdf

Resources and Mining starts at Page 168


I would be cautious about using this as a credible representation of market data. Hays surveys are not commonly used by Calgary E&P companies, and most of their data is likely sourced from their recruitment side and bulked up with regional differentials, which provides a pretty small data set.

[nzwasp]

Well im in IT and from my point of view those salaries in the survey for IT especially for network positions havent changed in 10 years. I wonder if this is how Telus keeps their employees at the same level for years (imho as a ex telus employee)

[Mitsu3000gt]

Not sure why you would think that. Most people at this experience level just begin knowing what they are really doing. However, the total compensation is often times very different from base, which is why I mentioned how base really varies greatly from total.

I have seen total compensation for field engineers over $200k for someone with 7-8 years experience.

I had nothing to go off of except my own assumptions and how much schooling they do vs some other O&G jobs :dunno: My engineering friends worked WAY harder in school than myself or my other non-engineer friends, I assumed they were compensated better than that (not that it's bad). I don't ask them what they make. At least one other person in this thread learned the same thing today haha. For whatever reason I've always thought engineers (and my only experience is primarily with producers) were compensated better than that. I had assumed the moment you get that PEng designation you would be at $100K++, I really had no idea.

As for the rest of the compensation as far as I know it's often the same company-wide, like STIP, LTIP, benefits, etc. which can be very significant but AFAIK is not normally specific to engineers or any other department for that matter (outside of execs). Every producer I've worked for has had a fairly consistent bonus/benefit plan across departments. Every bonus I've ever got has been a salary percentage, so people who make more naturally get bonused more.

[HiTempguy1]

For every peng making bank, there are 9 others making under 6 figures. The thing is, you dont hear from those 9 others, and they sure don't take salary surveys (which rarely get info from smaller companies).

[mr2mike]

STIP and LTIP can be good but the share price needs to go up. This is not happening as large investments into Canadian Energy isn't happening.
Look at the news on Billionaire family and their investment into energy. Where did it go? Chevron, Devon, etc.... all Int'l or US energy.

In a smaller company it's more about hitting the right time of the price cycle.

[ExtraSlow]

For every peng making bank, there are 9 others making under 6 figures. The thing is, you dont hear from those 9 others, and they sure don't take salary surveys (which rarely get info from smaller companies).

Yeah, I'd say average engineers don't make nearly what people assume. Lots under 100k, even experienced ones.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ExtraSlow]

On another note; I'm surprised this hasn't turned into a dick swinging contest yet. Has Beyond really matured this much?

I think everyone is trying not to make me feel bad.

[Disoblige]

It it like anything... if you are good at your job, you will get good compensation; if you are great at your job, you will get great compensation



On another note; I'm surprised this hasn't turned into a dick swinging contest yet. Has Beyond really matured this much?
Beyond has felt weird lately. Maybe because threads don't have killramos in it multiple times? Hahaha jk.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Disoblige]

Yeah this thread is definitely missing his usual flavour



hehe
:rofl:

[schurchill39]

So what I gather from this is the public thinks we are all underpaid. Lets unionize and demand the $200K ++ WE DESERVE! /s

[colinxx235]

So what I gather from this is the public thinks we are all underpaid. Lets unionize and demand the $200K ++ WE DESERVE! /s

No the public thinks we make $200k+ :rofl: it is all of the engineers (especially younger and at EPC/Fabricators) that know what we truly make lol.