Rig Mechanic Overview
Working as a Rig Mechanic
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a rig mechanic. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.14 an hour? That's $35,652 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 27,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Rig Mechanic Do
There are certain skills that many rig mechanics have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed dexterity, physical stamina and critical-thinking skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a rig mechanic, we found that a lot of resumes listed 11.5% of rig mechanics included mud pumps, while 10.9% of resumes included troubleshoot, and 8.9% of resumes included mechanical equipment. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the rig mechanic job title. But what industry to start with? Most rig mechanics actually find jobs in the energy and technology industries.
How To Become a Rig Mechanic
If you're interested in becoming a rig mechanic, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 14.0% of rig mechanics have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.0% of rig mechanics have master's degrees. Even though some rig mechanics have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a rig mechanic. When we researched the most common majors for a rig mechanic, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on rig mechanic resumes include bachelor's degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a rig mechanic. In fact, many rig mechanic jobs require experience in a role such as mechanic. Meanwhile, many rig mechanics also have previous career experience in roles such as chief mechanical officer or diesel mechanic.
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Rig Mechanic Jobs
Rig Mechanic Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a rig mechanic can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as technician, progress to a title such as team leader and then eventually end up with the title service manager.
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Rig Mechanic
Best Paying Cities
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
Soil and Land Use Technology, Inc. Rig Mechanic Rig Mechanic | Soil and Land Use Technology, Inc. Soil and Land Use Technology, Inc. | 02/21/2017 02/21/2017 | $47,73602/21/2017 $47,736 |
Parker Drilling Company Rig Mechanic Rig Mechanic | Parker Drilling Company Parker Drilling Company | 03/14/2013 03/14/2013 | $100,22403/14/2013 $100,224 |
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Entry Level Jobs For Becoming A Rig Mechanic
Top Skills For a Rig Mechanic
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.5% of rig mechanics listed mud pumps on their resume, but soft skills such as dexterity and physical stamina are important as well.
- Hand Tools, 14.4%
- Troubleshoot, 13.3%
- Mechanical Equipment, 11.2%
- Parts Inventory, 10.2%
- Preventive Maintenance, 8.1%
- Other Skills, 42.8% See All Rig Mechanic Skills
How Do Rig Mechanic Rate Their Jobs?
Top Rig Mechanic Employers
Rig Mechanic Videos
