How much does an electrical supervisor make on oil rigs?

Electrical Supervisor on offshore drilling rigs: typical contractor day rates run $500–$980, with equal-time annualized earnings about $91,000–$177,500 depending on experience, rig class, and region.

Experience	Typical Day Rate	Equal-Time Annualized
Entry	$500–$620	$91,000–$112,500
Mid-Career	$650–$800	$117,500–$145,000
Senior	$820–$980	$150,000–$177,500

I. Pay Breakdown

1.1 Experience-Based Bands (Offshore Drilling Rigs)

Level	Hourly (˜12-hr shifts)	Day Rate	Equal-Time Annualized
Entry	$42.50–$52.50	$500–$620	$91,000–$112,500
Mid-Career	$55.00–$67.50	$650–$800	$117,500–$145,000
Senior	$67.50–$82.50	$820–$980	$150,000–$177,500

Rounded per guidance: hourly to nearest $2.50; day rate to nearest $10; annualized to nearest $2,500.

1.2 Role-Specific Percentiles (Global Offshore Drilling)

Percentile	Hourly	Day Rate	Equal-Time Annualized
25th	$50.00	$600	$110,000
50th (Median)	$60.00	$720	$130,000
75th	$72.50	$880	$160,000

1.3 How we annualize offshore day rates

Equal-time rotations (e.g., 14/14 or 28/28) work about 182 days per year. We use: $Annualized \approx Day\ Rate \times 182$ and $Hourly \approx Day\ Rate \div 12$.

Figures reflect offshore drilling rigs only (jack-ups, semisubs, drillships). No onshore or production-platform blending.

II. How Pay Changes

2.1 Experience — Proven time as Chief/Lead Electrician or Electrical Supervisor on 6th/7th-gen rigs, complex power systems (6.6–11 kV), and successful rig start-ups/reactivations typically pushes candidates from mid-career into senior day-rate tiers.
2.2 Training and certifications — Pay tends to step up with:
- CompEx (Ex01–Ex04) or equivalent hazardous-area competence
- High-Voltage switching/authorization (often 6.6–11 kV)
- OEM training on drives/automation and PMS (e.g., ABB/Siemens/GE, Kongsberg power mgmt), SCR/AC rigs, VFDs, UPS/ESS
- Permit-to-Work isolations and “Electrical Authorized Person” status
- Mandatory offshore tickets (BOSIET/FOET/HUET), offshore medicals; regional items like TWIC (GoM)
Expect $20–$60/day uplifts for HV authorization and critical OEM competencies in tight markets.
2.3 Added responsibilities — Acting as maintenance team lead across disciplines, custody of CMMS (SAP/IFS/AMOS) planning, spares and vendor management, and being the isolation authority usually moves pay into the high end of each band; harsh-environment or deepwater assignments can add $50–$120/day.

III. Market Drivers Affecting Pay for THIS Role

3.1 Rig count and utilization — Rising day rates for jack-ups and high-spec deepwater units tighten the market for Electrical Supervisors, lifting mid and senior bands.
3.2 Regional hotspots — Pay pressure is strongest in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Brazil, and West Africa for deepwater; Middle East jack-ups remain active and can set floors for entry/mid tiers.
3.3 Rig specification — DP2/DP3 drillships and newer semis with complex power plants, high-voltage distribution, and advanced PMS/drive systems command higher pay than older tonnage.
3.4 Contracting model — Contractor day-rate roles often out-earn staff base salaries on a per-day basis; staff positions may add offshore uplifts, travel days, safety/retention bonuses, and benefits that narrow the gap on an annual basis.
3.5 Talent shortages — Scarcity of HV-authorized supervisors with hands-on OEM diagnostics and strong PTW/isolations experience supports the 75th-percentile pay.
3.6 Bonuses and premiums — Project start-up/reactivation, safety, and retention bonuses are common on long campaigns; harsh-environment premiums apply in sub-arctic or winterized operations.

If you need current openings with posted day rates, search jobs on Rigzone.

IV. Entry Pathways

4.1 Rig Electrician ? Lead/Chief Electrician ? Electrical Supervisor — Most common internal progression on jack-ups, semis, and drillships.
4.2 Marine/ETO backgrounds — Electrician/ETO from marine vessels transitioning to drilling units after adding offshore tickets and hazardous-area competence.
4.3 Industrial HV technicians — HV/drive systems techs from heavy industry who obtain CompEx and offshore survival/medical then step into rig electrician roles before supervising.
4.4 Apprenticeships and trade programs — Formal electrical apprenticeship plus hazardous-area and HV training accelerates progression to supervisor level offshore.