NOC 82021: Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services
What contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services do
Contractors and supervisors in oil and gas drilling and services supervise and coordinate the activities in drilling for oil or gas, operating service rigs, or providing oil and gas well services. They are employed by drilling and well service contracting companies and petroleum producing companies. Contractors may be self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Supervise, co-ordinate and schedule the activities of workers who drill for oil and gas, operate service rigs or provide oil and gas well services
- Establish methods to meet work schedules and co-ordinate work activities with other departments
- Requisition and procure materials and supplies
- Ensure appropriate control measures are in place to protect the health and safety of workers
- Resolve work problems and recommend measures to improve productivity and safety
- Train workers in job duties, safety procedures and company policies
- Recommend personnel actions such as hirings and promotions
- Review, audit and approve workers' paperwork and complete proper documentation
- Prepare production and other reports
- May set up machines and equipment.
Job titles under NOC 82021
26 job titles are classified here, including fracturing supervisor, multi-service operator - oil field services, rig manager.
- assistant offshore drilling rig superintendent
- assistant platform superintendent
- assistant toolpusher - offshore drilling rig
- consultant - gas well drilling
- consultant - oil and gas drilling
- directional drilling consultant - oil and gas
- fracturing supervisor
- multi-service operator - oil field services
- offshore drilling rig superintendent
- oil and gas contractor
- oil and gas drilling foreman/woman
- oil and natural gas well servicing foreman/woman
- oil field consultant
- oil field consultant supervisor
- oil field contractor
- oil well services field supervisor
- platform superintendent - oil and gas drilling
- production coordinator - energy
- rig manager
- rig manager - oil and gas drilling
- toolpusher
- toolpusher - oil and gas well drilling and offshore drilling
- well services crew supervisor - oil and gas drilling
- well services crew supervisor - oil field services
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Completion of college or petroleum industry approved training courses is required.
- Extensive experience in the occupations supervised is required.
- A two-year college diploma in petroleum engineering technology may be required.
- Certificates in first aid, hydrogen sulphide awareness, blowout prevention, well control, workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS), transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) or other safety and technical subjects are required and are obtained by completing short courses.
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $31.50/hr | $50.00/hr | $79.33/hr |
Toronto ON | $31.45/hr | $45.00/hr | $59.90/hr |
Calgary AB | $30.05/hr | $56.08/hr | $67.31/hr |
Edmonton AB | $26.92/hr | $46.00/hr | $72.34/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $28.98/hr | $43.04/hr | $53.82/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $36.54/hr | $51.23/hr | $81.76/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $33.46/hr | $48.89/hr | $70.91/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $40.00/hr | $57.69/hr | $96.15/hr |
Nova Scotia | $40.97/hr | $58.19/hr | $76.70/hr |
New Brunswick | $31.63/hr | $52.20/hr | $105.87/hr |
Ontario | $27.24/hr | $41.29/hr | $70.73/hr |
Manitoba | $25.00/hr | $40.00/hr | $60.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $35.00/hr | $50.00/hr | $76.92/hr |
Alberta | $32.00/hr | $50.96/hr | $73.00/hr |
British Columbia | $28.85/hr | $46.15/hr | $86.54/hr |
Using NOC 82021 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 26 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services?
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services are NOC 2021 unit group 82021. Example job titles in this group include fracturing supervisor, multi-service operator - oil field services, rig manager.
What TEER is NOC 82021?
NOC 82021 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $50.00/hr, about $98,000 a year full-time, with a range of $31.50/hr to $79.33/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.