It's no surprise to officially know the always-cyclical oil and gas industry currently is down - and for some companies, very down.
It may be surprising to know, however, that even in this season that is best described by one word - "gloomy" - there are some areas of the industry that are not only holding steady, but actually shows signs of being robust.
That's one of the findings of this year's annual AAPG salary survey, which showed that average salaries are down slightly this year for most - but not all - age groups.
The survey is one snapshot of the industry that started the year strong and then saw oil prices - and activity, and hiring, and in some cases, job security - drop dramatically.
Taken in total, though, the 2014 survey "shows very little change in salaries" from the previous year, according to Mike Ayling, of MLA Resources in Tulsa, who has conducted the annual salary survey for AAPG since 1981.
"While these (age) groups remain in strong demand, perhaps lethargic overall hiring has taken a toll on average salaries," Ayling said.
For example, "beginning geologists saw an almost inappreciable drop in starting salaries," Ayling said. Indeed, the average salary for those with two years experience or less was $102,900 in 2014, down from the previous year's $103,400.
"Geoscientists with 10-14 years experience had the largest gains - about 12 percent, perhaps reflecting an adjustment from last year when they saw little change," he said.
But that wasn't the case for those with 25-plus years of experience, a group that saw "a major drop" of 9 percent, Ayling said, "perhaps reflecting industry retirements.
"Geologists who have some experience - those in the 10- to-19-year category, are making pretty good salaries," he said, "probably because there are so few of them."
The AAPG annual survey is based on U.S. salaries only, which are still considered the industry's "gold standard." The measurement for international salaries for explorationists is virtually on a country-by-country, case-by-case basis, Ayling said, which makes statistical averaging non-productive beyond the boundaries of any specific country.
Also, many ex-pats are paid
U.S.-based salaries, while the national oil companies opt to pay compatriots on a different, lower scale.
Ayling said his survey is based on employed, salaried geoscientists and cannot account for unemployed or underemployed individuals. Nor can these numbers take into account the compensation of individuals who are primarily paid in the form of consulting fees, retainers or overrides.
No attempt has been made to include any additional sums to account for employee benefits, bonuses, automobiles or other perquisites. The purpose of this survey is merely to provide a yardstick for those interested in accessing their compensation.
Ayling feels strongly that "compensation is often a secondary consideration when evaluating overall job satisfaction."
2014 Geological Salary Survey
| YEARS EXPER |
HIGH |
AVERAGE |
LOW |
| 0-2 |
$ 117,300 |
$ 102,900 |
$ 87,000 |
| 3-5 |
140,000 |
114,900 |
9;98,000 |
| 6-9 |
163,200 |
148,300 |
135,000 |
| 10-14 |
207,000 |
165,600 |
132,000 |
| 15-19 |
206,000 |
189,000 |
155,000 |
| 20-24 |
315,000 |
234,300 |
185,400 |
| 25+ |
425,000 |
229,900 |
185,000 |
Average Salary By Degree
| YEARS EXPER |
B.S. |
M.S. |
Ph.D. |
| 0-2 |
$ 92,000 |
$ 104,400 |
$ 117,300 |
| 3-5 |
89,000 |
109,100 |
140,000 |
| 6-9 |
n/a |
143,000 |
155,300 |
| 10-14 |
160,000 |
150,000 |
178,900 |
| 15-19 |
n/a |
200,300 |
155,000 |
| 20-24 |
198,900 |
250,200 |
238,000 |
| 25+ |
209,000 |
221,600 |
248,000 |
Historical Averages Salary
| YEARS EXPER |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
| 0-2 |
$82,200 |
$82,800 |
$83,600 |
$87,600 |
$93,000 |
$98,700 |
$100,500 |
$103,400 |
$102,900 |
| 3-5 |
89,600 |
107,800 |
108,000 |
105,600 |
102,300 |
109,400 |
101,000 |
114,500 |
114,900 |
| 6- 9 |
98,500 |
121,100 |
118,400 |
121,700 |
127,800 |
137,300 |
127,800 |
145,400 |
148,300 |
| 10-14 |
111,500 |
119,800 |
121,900 |
123,500 |
139,100 |
153,400 |
147,000 |
147,500 |
165,600 |
| 15-19 |
141,000 |
151,600 |
139,400 |
150,800 |
151,000 |
193,600 |
190,300 |
179,200 |
189,000 |
| 20-24 |
155,000 |
167,400 |
176,800 |
180,300 |
191,000 |
199,200 |
211,600 |
219,500 |
234,300 |
| 25+ |
149,900 |
162,800 |
171,700 |
186,800 |
206,300 |
199,600 |
212,000 |
252,600 |
229,900 |