ROV are the lowest paid offshore workers

[effinreps]

The guys moaning about pay are not asking for enough IMO. I work through an agency and at the moment am asking for £400 to £420, last year I earnt 20 quid short of £70k for 176 days. On a regular rota this year which will give me 194 days to 5th April that will bring in just over £80k on the current rate.

Oh and I don’t do W Africa, Norway or Denmark.

I also know a couple of guys (supervisors) on £480 on a 175 day contract.

Keep asking for more and if your worth it you will probably get it in the current climate.

[Scott Beveridge]

Effin’

440 – 480 GBP is what I’ve been talking about for the past 6 months not too easy to get… especially (as yourself) when one gets very specific where one wants to work (or live for that matter)… and what jobs as well… 410 – 430 GBP is okay with no PAYE or VAT….

[effinreps]

Scot
Sorry should have mentioned I’m PAYE. Also when I said ‘Oh and I don’t do W Africa, Norway or Denmark.’ I meant currently. I would do Nor/Den for £460/£480, would not consider W Africa.

[Scott Beveridge]

Too true dude!! W. Africa’s been off my list for awhile (as well as a few others)…

Do I hear 4 – nun – un ate-ee??

[Cowboy]

Negotiating a decent dayrate is ok if you are working agency, the majority of us don’t.

I stand by what I said before that for the skill sets we have, the pay certainly doesn’t reflect it.
A job I was on the back end of last year, I was offered (out of the blue)
a subsea engineers position with the drilling company, the wage was way higher than what I am currently on and that was a starting wage. Obviously some sectors of the industry recognise qualifications more than others.

Generally in the uk, the payscale for salaried workers is the same across the board. P/T’s Sub-Engs and Supers are all getting pretty much the same and as long as we all sit down and do nothing, it will stay that way. All we do generally is moan about it on ROV World instead of doing what the divers did and stick together.

[Scott Beveridge]

The industry being in neutral gear isn’t helping at the moment… I’ve had to modify my "places-I-won’t-work-list"…. Feel sorry for all you young guys or companies that are only hiring young guys at present….

[New2ROV]

😕 I am currently in the UK forces working as an Avionics Tech Sup, on £33000 salary. I am leaving the forces later this year and considering my options. Can anyone give me some advice please? When you first start what is the salary? Where do you work i.e onshore or offshore? What are the typical work patterns? How long before you become a supervisor? Can someone please give me some advice.

[Mag50]

Hi fellows,

Any one out there work for as supevisor in the GOM and can tell me what is the supervisor pay rate, bonus, shoprate, and salary?
I appreciate your response.

James, would you please delete this duplicate posting

[Mag50]

Hi fellows,

Any one out there work as supevisor and can tell me what is the supervisor pay rate, bonus, shoprate, and salary?
I appreciate your response.
This is a us company in the GOM and possiable in oversea’s.

[woodenspoon]

It is true to say that there are many of us that are on a good wage, but on the other side of the coin, I also meet many that are not, sometimes on as little as half for the same position (I’m talking oil and gas here).

The ‘Scotbeve’ approach of ‘you cut your own deals’ (which many share) just helps the companies divide and conquer and make money off the individuals that work for them rather than the clients they work for.

If two guys (or gals) work for the same outfit and are the same grade etc, etc they are entitled to the same wage, but this is not the case throughout the industry. Employees are often told not to discuss rates with other employees. The companies charge the clients a set rate for a tech, so why don’t the companies pay a set rate to all the tech’s within that company?

How many times have you heard/been told don’t tell anybody what you are on? Then there is "you all know me I’m a nice guy" (that has recently moved regions), who is well known for paying his mates higher rates. Or the company that takes on trainees and pays them ‘room &board’.

The agencies are no better, how common is it to arrive on a job to find the same agent paying a different rate to the guy next to you? Have they passed on the increase in the exchange rate, they receive $’s off the oil & gas companies and pay in £’s anyone notice a jump in rates between last Nov and now?

On a different thread there was all this talk about sticking together, let’s strike, join the uni0n, yet on this one ‘we cut our own deals’! If you really want to unite the workers, then pressure should be put on the companies to publish grade rates to employees within their company. If an agency is truly paying you the top rate then publish it on the advert or general e-mail. Or maybe we are just supposed to stick together to support the minority who want to keep the tax concession?

This is just my personal opinion and may well stir a few of you up, but no need to send abuse as I am going offshore tomorrow and won’t have an internet connection, have fun!

More tea ‘Lostboy’?

[Ray Shields]

😕 I am currently in the UK forces working as an Avionics Tech Sup, on £33000 salary. I am leaving the forces later this year and considering my options. Can anyone give me some advice please? When you first start what is the salary? Where do you work i.e onshore or offshore? What are the typical work patterns? How long before you become a supervisor? Can someone please give me some advice.

Have a read through the other threads on here especially in the Rookies section, have a look at the ROV Pay Rates page. Its not an exact answer but it will give an idea.

Assuming you get a job for a UK based company, figures are very roughly as a Trainee you can expect to make £30k in the first year. You would expect to go up another £5-10k by the end of year 2. Supervisor should be achievable after 5 years.

Unfortunately you must expect a pay drop leaving the forces and changing industries. We have a lot of ex RAF here now and as long as you can keep a tight reign on your finances in the first year they seem to get through it ok.

[ROV_Monkey]

Gents

I must say I think ex forces guys, RAF in particular, heve been the best offshore trainees/pilots/subbies I’ve ever had.

Don’t know what it is but they seem to have the right work ethic and relevant quals/knowledge.

I need more…. 😆

Monkey

[ROV_Monkey]

As far as the numbers go, Rays got it about right.

You’ll have a drop for the first year ( or less). provided you’re competent you should be out of the "trainee" inside a year.

Last I heard from my guys the jump from trainee to full pilot was @ 8K pa.

2 year from there should see you as a sub eng, provided you’re not a rigpig and actually get involved and give a sh*te about what’s going on.

Don’t remember what the pay jump from pilot to sub is but I remember the last sub buying mucho bevvies for the boys in the bar when it came thru’ (@5K?)

HTH

Monkey

[Scott Beveridge]

Gents

I must say I think ex forces guys, RAF in particular, heve been the best offshore trainees/pilots/subbies I’ve ever had.

Don’t know what it is but they seem to have the right work ethic and relevant quals/knowledge.

I need more…. 😆

Monkey

Re: ex-military folk, it’s the discipline taught or drummed into them that usually makes a better worker.

[Scott Beveridge]

It is true to say that there are many of us that are on a good wage, but on the other side of the coin, I also meet many that are not, sometimes on as little as half for the same position (I’m talking oil and gas here).

The ‘Scotbeve’ approach of ‘you cut your own deals’ (which many share) just helps the companies divide and conquer and make money off the individuals that work for them rather than the clients they work for.

If two guys (or gals) work for the same outfit and are the same grade etc, etc they are entitled to the same wage, but this is not the case throughout the industry. Employees are often told not to discuss rates with other employees. The companies charge the clients a set rate for a tech, so why don’t the companies pay a set rate to all the tech’s within that company?

How many times have you heard/been told don’t tell anybody what you are on? Then there is "you all know me I’m a nice guy" (that has recently moved regions), who is well known for paying his mates higher rates. Or the company that takes on trainees and pays them ‘room &board’.

The agencies are no better, how common is it to arrive on a job to find the same agent paying a different rate to the guy next to you? Have they passed on the increase in the exchange rate, they receive $’s off the oil & gas companies and pay in £’s anyone notice a jump in rates between last Nov and now?

On a different thread there was all this talk about sticking together, let’s strike, join the uni0n, yet on this one ‘we cut our own deals’! If you really want to unite the workers, then pressure should be put on the companies to publish grade rates to employees within their company. If an agency is truly paying you the top rate then publish it on the advert or general e-mail. Or maybe we are just supposed to stick together to support the minority who want to keep the tax concession?

This is just my personal opinion and may well stir a few of you up, but no need to send abuse as I am going offshore tomorrow and won’t have an internet connection, have fun!

More tea ‘Lostboy’?

Wooden,

Not stirred and not even shaken…

You may be correct as well as incorrect and possibly have missed my point when saying "you cut your own deals" in one thread and "the lack of solidarity" in another thread ol’chap. You folks that work (mostly) in the N.Sea can have more solidarity than (really) the rest of the world (excl. OZ) due to the fact of your numbers vs amount of work. Your solidarity level SHOULD BE much higher and yet I’ve seen a vast disparity of rates in the UK sector. Indeed, the "Don’t tell em’ what you’re paid" syndrome has been around from day dot.

My bottom line is this: The rates page on this website has been and will be a good source for all the new and newer guys / gals coming into this industry. Please use this as a guide. AND PLEASE – LET’S KEEP THE INPUT ACCURATE AND REGULAR. When asking for a wage, please ask 5 to 10% more than you expect – then haggle. As far as pay being the same across the board, I can’t agree with that 100% as there are 1 year supervisors and there are 30 year supervisors. You can’t possibly think that the 30 year guy is going to be happy with the same pay as the 1 yr. supv. (and YES, they are out there!!!). That’s the extreme. In another thread, I posted something to the effect of: "Why not get paid properly for time in service?" 5 – 10 yrs. at a certain rate, 10 – 15 yrs. at a certain rate, and so – on (different grades of course as well).

Secondly, I am all for a Yuni0n – although there’s a few GM’s and Ops. Mgrs. out there who will differ with me vociferously! BUT, using the pay grade formula (or the likes of) above.

Lastly, I agree that some of the agencies (more than half the people in them don’t know what an ROV is…) are receiving $$$ and pay out in pounds. This blows me away!!!!!! We may work offshore but we’re not daft (or that daft!!!). I personally have turned down work due to the abysmal pound rate. I really don’t want to take a US$250 – 350 / day paycut.

[Author]

Posts