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As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Your not just making your salary for 20 years, it will be for life. You also have a fairly stable job environment. Historically drillers were boom/bust or had to move with the work. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Are they still hiring?

WisconsinWaterfowler wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Are they still hiring?

Not sure.

AKPirate wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Your not just making your salary for 20 years, it will be for life. You also have a fairly stable job environment. Historically drillers were boom/bust or had to move with the work. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

exactly right. Not to mention that's a tough life and the select few move on up the ladder. My grandpa moved out to Cali from Arkansas in the 50's to work the oil fields

3geese4me wrote:

WisconsinWaterfowler wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Are they still hiring?

Not sure.

Not really something I'm interested in but 200k sounds awful nice.

AKPirate wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Your not just making your salary for 20 years, it will be for life. You also have a fairly stable job environment. Historically drillers were boom/bust or had to move with the work. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

I just have to sometimes just take a deep breath and say "ugh, someday". These guys spend money up here like it means nothing to them.

3geese4me wrote:

AKPirate wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Your not just making your salary for 20 years, it will be for life. You also have a fairly stable job environment. Historically drillers were boom/bust or had to move with the work. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

I just have to sometimes just take a deep breath and say "ugh, someday". These guys spend money up here like it means nothing to them.

I don't even like spending a $1.50 on a drink at the gas station.

I'm talking like $8K on a Vegas vacation for the week that he was off.

Redbeard wrote:

AKPirate wrote:

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Your not just making your salary for 20 years, it will be for life. You also have a fairly stable job environment. Historically drillers were boom/bust or had to move with the work. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

exactly right. Not to mention that's a tough life and the select few move on up the ladder. My grandpa moved out to Cali from Arkansas in the 50's to work the oil fields

And I do realize that I will be retired in 9 more years and I will have a large portion of my monthly income supplemented by my military pension. I don't like that my job is 10 times more technical than his and I get paid 10 times less a year.

3geese4me wrote:I'm talking like $8K on a Vegas vacation for the week that he was off.

You could have just taken the 8 grand, bought him a hundred 20 dollar lotto tickets and a handle of liqour and he would have probably gotten the same results.

WisconsinWaterfowler wrote:

3geese4me wrote:I'm talking like $8K on a Vegas vacation for the week that he was off.

You could have just taken the 8 grand, bought him a hundred 20 dollar lotto tickets and a handle of liqour and he would have probably gotten the same results.

You can't get herpes from a lotto ticket...well, I don't think you can anyway.

Feelin' Fowl wrote:

WisconsinWaterfowler wrote:

3geese4me wrote:I'm talking like $8K on a Vegas vacation for the week that he was off.

You could have just taken the 8 grand, bought him a hundred 20 dollar lotto tickets and a handle of liqour and he would have probably gotten the same results.

You can't get herpes from a lotto ticket...well, I don't think you can anyway.

You just have to be creative is all.

3geese4me wrote:As most of you know, there is an oil boom of epic proportions going on here in North Dakota. My cousin, who is 3 years older than me, flunked out of high school and can barely count to 10. He landed a job and makes well over $200K a year as a driller and just bought himself a 2014 Corvette Stingray..with cash, no loan. Here I am, making a modest paycheck but I get discouraged when I see the kind of money these guys are making. It makes me upset to see guys making $200K a year and blowing it on a car that they will only be able to drive 4 months out of the year.

Ask your cousin where he keeps his money. My guess is that it is in his pocket and that at the end of his days off he is broke. I know several people working the oil rigs and they spend it as fast as they make it. Only one that I know has any money in the bank. As the saying goes: Oil field cash for oil field trash.

An AMMO from when I was there that got kicked out started working back there in 2009(kicked out in 07)

I still talk to him and says he's got a little over 500k saved in the bank in addition to his paid off house and truck. Says another 5 years and he will be able to fully retire with no worries. Unique situation but I'm happy for him nonetheless. I like that people are making that kind of dough without a college degree.

Damn I should have stuck with oilfield work instead of coming to college.

I am moving, who wants to join me?

I'm in. Haven't done any drilling but I've laid lots of pipe and plumbed tanks. Surely they need people to do that up there.

Find housing first. 20,000 jobs available, but nowhere to live...

The Duck Hammer wrote:I'm in. Haven't done any drilling but I've laid lots of pipe and plumbed tanks. Surely they need people to do that up there.

I've laid a lot of pipe, but I don't see how that is relevant.

Not what I was talking about.

Feelin' Fowl wrote:Find housing first. 20,000 jobs available, but nowhere to live...

A lot of guys live in campers.

3geese4me wrote:

Feelin' Fowl wrote:Find housing first. 20,000 jobs available, but nowhere to live...

A lot of guys live in campers.

And cars, and churches. I read that big rooms with 25 guys on cots go for $500 per man, per month.

Feelin' Fowl wrote:

3geese4me wrote:

Feelin' Fowl wrote:Find housing first. 20,000 jobs available, but nowhere to live...

A lot of guys live in campers.

And cars, and churches. I read that big rooms with 25 guys on cots go for $500 per man, per month.

I bet you'd pay twice that to get into a small room with 25 guys...

Woody wrote:

Feelin' Fowl wrote:

3geese4me wrote:

Feelin' Fowl wrote:Find housing first. 20,000 jobs available, but nowhere to live...

A lot of guys live in campers.

And cars, and churches. I read that big rooms with 25 guys on cots go for $500 per man, per month.

I bet you'd pay twice that to get into a small room with 25 guys...

Off topic!

Seriously though. The boom hit and housing hasn't caught up. Rent for apartments went from $500/mo. to $2,500/mo. overnight, and there's a waiting list for those that can afford that kind of rent.

Yup. I checked into.this when the oil sands project in Canada was the big thing. Could have been there but living conditions were awful and super expensive. Would come home worn out and broke having made a lot on paper. It sounds great, $200k. You do it and let me know how it goes.

Sounds like the old Yukon gold rush

Redbeard wrote:Sounds like the old Yukon gold rush

I think the oil fields might be a little better bet than the gold rushes, but yeah, lots of similarities. Single guy with a strong back could do quite well.

AKPirate wrote:

Redbeard wrote:Sounds like the old Yukon gold rush

I think the oil fields might be a little. Better bet than the gold rushes, but yeah, lots of similarities. Single guy with a strong back could do quite well.

RV lots are going for $500 a month plus your utility payments. So you'd be paying $700 for just a place to park your RV. Most 5th wheel campers are going for 80-90k brand new. So if you can handle living in a camper for a bit you could seriously rake in some cash. Or pay 2500 a month for rent on a shitty house or man camp.

I would sleep in my backseat for a year for that kind of cash if I was single.