Wireline Operator - $120,000/yr starting salary with CDL?

don't count on it. i'm sure you can get a wireline job with no experience with one of the larger companies, but i cannot imagine they will pay you anywhere near that. but what do i know. down here baker hughes will start you at $16/hour fresh out of school and no oilfield experience for their wireline division. i passed.

 

That's the unfortunate truth about the "spew" that the Media puts out. They are not very credible about wages. It makes one wonder about anything the Media tells us.

 

It could be possible. It would probably depend on what area of wireline you get into. Some pay hourly and some pay per job. If you work 100-120 hrs a week at fifteen or sixteen dollars an hour you'll make pretty close to that. What they don't tell you is you'll make more money, get more time off, and probably better benifits if you do frac but the work is a lot harder than wireline and the hour would probably be similar.

 

Might be a little exaggerated, just sayin...

 

Yep right now our Tools guys are making that kind of money; but what they don't tell you is that you will work for it... Get ready to live in the pickup truck and go from job to job. Ive been doing this oilfields thing for a year now;and after 10 months of 80-100+ a week you get burned around the collar. The last month I have taken it easy; averaging around 65 a week. Its not hard at $16+ impossible to make that kind of money.

 

The media said otr guys make more than $100,000 a year working for a company. It is possible but I think the reporter is exaggerating a bit.

 

Flat the first thing you need to think about is time,not money. the money comes when the time is put in. we dont get rich driving trucks but with time and knowledge the money comes and you can live very comfortably.I was a heavy hauler in the oil fields from rig moves to compressors the tipped the scales over 100,000 lbs. the money was great, but you never see home,no holidays,no weekends. 24/7/365 the oil field never stops. wireline operators can make that and more but it could take you years to get to that point.dont matter if ur in ND or PA,TX,MI,OH where ever we all started out at the bottom and bust ur butt for little bit you get,there is a ton of folks looking to cash in on the oil boom.not trying to discourage you or anything,but you need to know you will bust butt all the time non stop and need to prove ur worth the you want to make. good luck

 

critters, great advice and every ounce is completely true. This industry is no different than any other, you want to succeed and climb a ladder, bust your tail and you'll get places.