Floor hand vs galley hand

The differences between floor hands and galley hands can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a galley hand has an average salary of $47,014, which is higher than the $36,554 average annual salary of a floor hand.

The top three skills for a floor hand include tongs, fall protection and safety equipment. The most important skills for a galley hand are clean rooms, rig, and meal preparation.

Floor hand vs galley hand overview

	Floor Hand	Galley Hand
Yearly salary	$36,554	$47,014
Hourly rate	$17.57	$22.60
Growth rate	-	2%
Number of jobs	21,924	4,239
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a floor hand do?

A floor hand is an employee who performs a variety of manual labor tasks in a rig site. Floor hand employees take charge of handling pipes, drilling, and casing equipment. Their responsibilities include rig component equipment repairs and maintenance, assigned activities on the rig floor, and rig up and down movements. They are considered as foundational employees working on the derrick floor. Often, they handle the tough physical jobs on the site.

What does a galley hand do?

Galley hands, also known as utility hands, are usually tasked to assist the cook in preparing the food and dining room, in serving the meals, and in cleaning up the kitchen. In doing so, they should have good communication skills, can follow specific instructions, and can interact with people. Part of their tasks is to operate cooking equipment like deep fryers and grill, clean the galleys such as pantries and walk-in freezer, and assist in unloading and storing food supplies. Additionally, they may clean rooms, showers, and furniture.

Floor hand vs galley hand salary

Floor hands and galley hands have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Floor Hand	Galley Hand
Average salary	$36,554	$47,014
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $27,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between floor hand and galley hand education

There are a few differences between a floor hand and a galley hand in terms of educational background:

	Floor Hand	Galley Hand
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Floor hand vs galley hand demographics

Here are the differences between floor hands' and galley hands' demographics:

	Floor Hand	Galley Hand
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9%	Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 1.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between floor hand and galley hand duties and responsibilities

Floor hand example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports, and manage their efforts to maximize their contribution to operational effectiveness and performance.
Perform daily inspection of rig hoisting systems, slips, tongs, and iron roughneck on the rig floor.
Certify in CPR and a's.
Pull back pipe and run pipe in the hole on the monkey board.
Fill out JSA and other paper work.
Set tank batteries and build containment dikes.

Galley hand example responsibilities.

Manage and perform rig operations, repair large mud pump motors, hoppers, shakers, generators, valves and agitators.
Participate in JSA, S.T.O.P.
Maintain a low food cost, do payroll, hold weekly safety meetings, order groceries.
Rig interior appearance maintenance which include the following daily responsibilities: restroom cleaning, making beds and washing uniforms.
Maintain healthy environment on the rig through the proper preparation of food and keep the crew and living quarters clean.
Maintain groceries and supplies, order groceries and supplies, keep everything organize, make beds, sweep & mop floors.

Floor hand vs galley hand skills

Common floor hand skills

Tongs, 20%
Fall Protection, 7%
Safety Equipment, 6%
Safety Rules, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Mud Pumps, 4%

Common galley hand skills

Clean Rooms, 25%
Rig, 22%
Meal Preparation, 11%
Fire Drills, 8%
TWIC, 6%
Groceries, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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