jasonz28camaro

iTrader: (13)

Do it! I work two weeks on and one week off offshore doing inspection work. I have an 8 month old and wife I leave, its tough to get started doing this type of traveling job. I started out when I was dating my wife and this is my 6th year, with the new baby it just made it a little trickier but we are used to it.

To help we facetime a bunch, just yesterday I saw my daughter craw for the first time over facetime. Looking forward to going home sunday and chasing here around the house lol.

One great thing is the money though. The week off is great too. there is nothing like having a full week off, sometimes more depending on work activates offshore.

If you do fracking, make sure you don't help the company out if they work near your house in the near future lol. ***** nasty.

BizZzatch350

iTrader: (33)

I'd look more towards the off shore drilling contractor side if you're just starting out, they work even splits, most are 14/14 but some of the deep waters have gone to 21/21. Even if start off as a roustabout, if you're willing to learn you'll get a floor job within a couple hitches. I run mud for a very large service company and it's 14/14 if you get on a steady job. A lot of service jobs are 24hr on call. The ones that work even splits are more geared towards family life, where you can have some balance.

mlee

^^^This...Offshore is much better.

That frac job at 14/7 and $17hr is nuts. That is a tough life especially with small kids. I've been oil field for 13 years now and been on a 14/14 schedule for the last 3 years. Working though all the weekends and holidays gets old quick and when you only have 7 days off a month I can't even imagine that. Remember Thanksgiving and Christmas means nothing to the oilfield. It's 24/7 365.

bigbad76nova

Been working in the field for 5yrs now, have two kids and a third on the way. I am on a 7/3,7/4 schedule and am home most nights working a 16hr day. I work for a great company though and have a **** load of vacation and sick time (paid) so i dont miss out on any of the "important" things in my childrens lives. I worked for one of the "big 3" for the first 3yrs and my life was absolute hell, but since getting with this new company...life is awesome. Facetime and constant phone calls goes a LOONG way for the times i am not at home.

My wife is actually the one raising my children instead of some random person at a daycare, and for me, that is worth the family time i personally miss out on. Having ANY parent at home is a rare thing now-a-days.

(I am a frac hand and my income is higher then all college buddies (by a considerable margin) with the exception of one, and he works as many hours as I do in the end as an electrical engineer.)

There is better money to be made out there (for me), but have chosen the lifestyle of being able to see my family when/if i want.