Offshore oil pay by role
Offshore pay is quoted as a day rate rather than an hourly wage, and the total for a year depends on how many hitches you work.
Key facts
- Toolpusher day rate
- $850-1,100
- Source: industry research, 2025 estimate, unconfirmed
- Roughneck / roustabout day rate
- $500-650
- No-experience entry pay
- roughly $400-650/day (roustabout, catering)
- Hitches per year, 21/21 rotation
- roughly 8-9
- Figures last checked
- 2026-09-08
The table below reflects industry research, not a confirmed operator pay scale or a government wage survey -- treat every figure as an estimate, unconfirmed until it's checked against a current posting, a union agreement, or an operator's own careers page. Canadian offshore day rates are not published by Job Bank, StatCan, or C-NLOER (the Newfoundland offshore regulator) -- they're negotiated per operator and contractor and treated as commercially confidential, so there is no government or industry source to check these figures against. Last checked 2026-09-08 — see the Sources section below.
| Role | Day rate | Per 21-day hitch | Annual (8-9 hitches) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toolpusher | $850-1,100 | $18k-23k | $150k-200k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Driller | $750-950 | $16k-20k | $130k-170k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Derrickhand | $650-800 | $14k-17k | $115k-145k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Crane operator | $700-850 | $15k-18k | $125k-155k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Production operator | $600-750 | $13k-16k | $105k-135k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Instrumentation tech | $650-800 | $14k-17k | $115k-145k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Electrician | $650-800 | $14k-17k | $115k-145k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Roughneck / roustabout | $500-650 | $11k-14k | $90k-120k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Scaffolder | $550-700 | $12k-15k | $95k-125k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
| Catering | $400-500 | $8k-11k | $70k-95k | 2025 estimate, unconfirmed |
Why does pay vary so much within a role?
A day rate depends on the operator, the specific platform, whether the work is a planned turnaround versus routine production, years of experience, and trade certifications. Oil-price swings also affect how many hiring blocks run in a given year, which affects how much overtime and hitch work is actually available.
No experience? Start here
Roustabout and catering roles are the realistic no-experience entry points, at roughly $400-650/day (2025 estimate, unconfirmed). See /jobs/ for the certifications you need before you apply.
Sources
No dollar figure on this page has a government or industry-association source as of 2026-09-08. Job Bank does not publish offshore day-rate wage data (its wage reports are hourly, by NOC occupation, and offshore platform roles are not broken out separately), and C-NLOER (the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador offshore regulator) publishes safety and compliance information, not pay data. Every figure above remains an industry-research estimate rather than a corrected, sourced number, because no such source exists to correct it against.
Frequently asked questions
How is offshore pay actually structured?
Offshore roles are paid a day rate for each day of a hitch (typically 21 or 28 days), not an hourly wage. Total annual pay depends on how many hitches you work in a year -- roughly 8-9 hitches for a 21/21 rotation.
Is Hibernia pay different from Terra Nova or Hebron?
Industry research suggests platform pay for the same role sits within roughly 10-15% of each other, with Hibernia often cited as slightly higher (2025 estimate, unconfirmed) -- role and experience matter more than which platform you're on.
What does a no-experience entry role pay?
Roustabout and catering roles are the realistic no-experience entry points, at roughly $400-650/day (2025 estimate, unconfirmed) once BST and HUET certifications are complete.
Related guides
Off-shift entertainment
Some workers use off-shift downtime for regulated online gambling. If you do, only use operators registered in your own province -- see the regulated options by province, or pick your province below.
Regulated online gambling in Canada is province by province. Only operators registered for your own province are ever shown -- pick your province below to see what's actually available to you.
Off-shift only. Never gamble on company networks or devices. Please play responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not income.