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The differences between drilling engineers and specialist field engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a drilling engineer and a specialist field engineer. Additionally, a drilling engineer has an average salary of $101,225, which is higher than the $56,430 average annual salary of a specialist field engineer.
The top three skills for a drilling engineer include cost estimates, well design and data analysis. The most important skills for a specialist field engineer are oil gas, technical support, and customer support.
| Drilling Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,225 | $56,430 |
| Hourly rate | $48.67 | $27.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,035 | 85,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A drilling engineer specializes in planning and overseeing a gas and oil company's drilling operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis, coordinating with other experts and contractors, examining and evaluating the quality of drilling sites, and liaising with external parties. Furthermore, as a drilling engineer, it is essential to monitor the progress of operations and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and safety regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
A specialist field engineer works in construction areas or factories. They conduct on-site research, diagnose machinery problems, and make repairs. They also install new systems as necessary. They prepare purchase agreements, confidentiality agreements, and reports.
Drilling engineers and specialist field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drilling Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,225 | $56,430 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $155,000 | Between $40,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | - |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | - |
| Best paying company | Devon Energy | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a drilling engineer and a specialist field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Drilling Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between drilling engineers' and specialist field engineers' demographics:
| Drilling Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |