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What is an oiler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

An oiler is a person whose primary job is oiling machinery. They are also known informally as a greaser. This position tends to be classified as a junior position in the engineering department working on vessels such as a ship.

Their job description involves lubrication of air conditioning, sewage systems, pumps, etc. They also clean and operate equipment, maintain records, lubricate and cool oil supply, and regularly perform gauge checks.

ScoreOilerUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $41,034

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.9

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.43%

Asian 2.66%

Black or African American 12.31%

Hispanic or Latino 10.31%

Unknown 4.14%

White 68.16%

Gender

female 8.69%

male 91.31%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Oiler career paths

Key steps to become an oiler

  1. Explore oiler education requirements

    Most common oiler degrees

    High School Diploma

    51.5 %

    Associate

    16.0 %

    Bachelor's

    14.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific oiler skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Preventative Maintenance17.38%
    Oiling9.22%
    Lube8.15%
    Routine Maintenance5.44%
    Mechanical Equipment5.38%
  3. Complete relevant oiler training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New oilers 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 an oiler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real oiler resumes.
  4. Research oiler duties and responsibilities

    • Preform light maintenance and oil crane, assist with the erection and teardown of crane along with rigging loads when need
    • Complete numerous hours of operators training for track hoe and bulldozers.
    • 99801Work underground servicing mine equipment, operate lube truck and mine equipment.
    • Operate Frac heater, heating Frac and upright tanks on well locations.
  5. Prepare your oiler resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your oiler 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 an oiler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable oiler resume templates

    Build a professional oiler 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 oiler resume.
    Oiler Resume
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    Oiler Resume
  6. Apply for oiler jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an oiler 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 oiler job

Zippi

Are you an oiler?

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Average oiler salary

The average oiler salary in the United States is $41,034 per year or $20 per hour. Oiler salaries range between $23,000 and $72,000 per year.

Average oiler salary
$41,034 Yearly
$19.73 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do oilers rate their job?

-/5

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1 star

Oiler reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

Good money n working 90% of the time alone

Cons

To many hours on call 21 days 24/7 no holiday off and PD as reg day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

The skills of how to operate pressure and temperature, this is the beginning to be in stable job and move forward to pumper

Cons

Deal with ppl who don't know what are they doing


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Making 100k a year and not many ppl want to run one because they are very dangerous.

Cons

Nothing really


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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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