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The differences between drilling fluids engineers and completion 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 fluids engineer and a completion engineer. Additionally, a completion engineer has an average salary of $156,228, which is higher than the $89,974 average annual salary of a drilling fluids engineer.
The top three skills for a drilling fluids engineer include drilling fluid, fluid systems and polymer. The most important skills for a completion engineer are rig, AFE, and cost estimates.
| Drilling Fluids Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,974 | $156,228 |
| Hourly rate | $43.26 | $75.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 5,121 | 11,512 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Together with a drilling rig engineer, a drilling fluids engineer helps with the pumping of fluids, testing liquids for unwanted particles. They also are involved in mixing fluids needed to drill oil or gas. Another task is providing reports for fluid properties acquired and giving recommendations. They keep a timely record of the performance of each staff member. If staffing is inadequate, they are also tasked to calculate funds for the drilling, allocating budget in both the procedures and miscellaneous expenses.
Completion Engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for designing and monitoring well completions and ensuring the safety of drilling completion operations. These engineers must communicate instructions to the drilling contractors for all operations while emphasizing safety, well control, and LEAN. They are required to conduct meetings on multiple onsite safety and analysis of hazardous materials to improve workplace safety. Completion Engineers must also work closely with the senior management to establish standard operating procedures that follow the industry and government regulations.
Drilling fluids engineers and completion engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drilling Fluids Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,974 | $156,228 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $154,000 | Between $107,000 And $227,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Devon Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a drilling fluids engineer and a completion engineer in terms of educational background:
| Drilling Fluids Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Petroleum Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between drilling fluids engineers' and completion engineers' demographics:
| Drilling Fluids Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |