With oil production booming and qualified workers in high demand, you don’t have to look far to find job opportunities in the Permian Basin these days. More than 500 prospective employees attended a recent job fair in Odessa, where companies like Haliburton advertised jobs for truck drivers, oilfield technicians and more. Haliburton, which is the second-largest provider of oilfield services in the region, has reportedly been adding more than 175 jobs each month.
Jobs for people with commercial driver’s licenses are in particularly high demand, but they’re far from the only positions that companies are trying to fill. Recently, many RV travelers have even been earning extra money working as oil field gate guards. Other job openings include opportunities for mechanics, lab technicians and superintendents. Some of the attendees at the Odessa job fair drove from as far as Mississippi in hopes of finding employment in the Permian Basin.
“I don’t care where I go. I just need a job, and I’ve heard the wages are good,” said Janice Venables of Mississippi in an interview with Reuters.
In fact, some truck driving positions that require a commercial license are starting salaried employees at as much as $85,000 with full benefits. For veteran truck drivers who may have spent years being paid by the load, reliable opportunities like this can be hard to pass up. The hours can be long and challenging at times, but the high pay grade is well worth the effort in the eyes of many drivers.
Meanwhile, with a number of recent workforce reports finding healthy job growth throughout the Lone Star State, all signs indicate that it’s a great time to be working in Texas.
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