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What is a mud engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mud engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $31.81 an hour? That's $66,175 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 1,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreMud EngineerUS Average
Salary
5.2

Avg. Salary $66,175

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 17.03%

Black or African American 4.32%

Hispanic or Latino 10.83%

Unknown 4.75%

White 62.79%

Gender

female 6.14%

male 93.86%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Mud engineer career paths

Key steps to become a mud engineer

  1. Explore mud engineer education requirements

    Most common mud engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.1 %

    Associate

    14.0 %

    High School Diploma

    13.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific mud engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Rig39.11%
    Drilling Fluid9.54%
    Polymer7.79%
    OBM4.49%
    Fluid Properties3.93%
  3. Complete relevant mud engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mud engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mud engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mud engineer resumes.
  4. Research mud engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Work directly with the well supervisor and team to accomplish the job responsibilities and troubleshoot issues.
    • Manage rig move/loss circulation surface personnel logistics for maximum efficiency.
    • Hold current``HUET"TWIC and H2S certificates.
    • Waste management, H2S content fluid treatment.
  5. Prepare your mud engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mud engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mud engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable mud engineer resume templates

    Build a professional mud engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mud engineer resume.
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
    Mud Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for mud engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a mud engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first mud engineer job

Zippi

Are you a mud engineer?

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Average mud engineer salary

The average mud engineer salary in the United States is $66,175 per year or $32 per hour. Mud engineer salaries range between $45,000 and $96,000 per year.

Average mud engineer salary
$66,175 Yearly
$31.81 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do mud engineers rate their job?

5/5

Out of 1 Mud Engineer reviews, 100% were positive.

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Based on 1 ratings

Work/life balance
5.0
Overall rating
5.0
Pay / salary
5.0
Career growth
4.0

Mud engineer reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros

Work schedule and the job its self

Cons

Co-man ignorance of the actual roles of the mud man


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

I do the same job every day but I never get the same results twice. each minute, hour, day everything changes. we drill thru different formations all the time. But we drill the same stuff from well to well.

Cons

There is a constant chance of someone making a big mistake and causing a blow out that hurts or kills others.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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