Nigeria Offshore Salary Structure: Earnings & Expectations for 2025
Working offshore in Nigeria remains one of the most lucrative paths in the country’s workforce, particularly in the oil and gas industry. From offshore drilling consultants to marine engineers, these jobs demand both physical stamina and technical expertise and they pay handsomely for it.
In this article, we’ll break down the offshore salary structure in Nigeria for 2025, Annual earnings across major roles in leading companies like Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil.
Whether you’re an experienced professional or just entering the industry, understanding current offshore pay rates can help you navigate your career prospects.
Do you know that Nigerian Professionals that work offshore make a lot of money? Offshore jobs are physical demanding jobs and they are also mentally challenging. Offshore mostly require workers to move away to the coastal regions of Nigeria where they work, separated from their families for long periods of time.
Let’s go right into details on what offshore workers in Nigeria earn in different sectors including oil and gas-related jobs.
Note: This information is from reliable sources, so stick with us as we provide the salary scale drawn from the average yearly earning of Offshore workers, not monthly.
Top OFFSHORE COMPANIES IN NIGERIA
These offshore companies in Nigeria are responsible for these figures. Kind;y note that some of these firms pay in US Dollars.
- Exxon Mobil
- Halliburton Energy services and so on and so forth.
- Shell Oil Company
- Chevron
OFFSHORE DRILLING CONSULTANTS EARNS ₦51M TO ₦102M YEARLY
The offshore drilling consultants are the most important employees, that accounts for their high pay. Their salary ranges from ₦51m to ₦102M a year. As consultants, they supervise daily operational activities in the oil rig. They provide consultations and advice on a lot of drilling Issues.
The offshore drilling consultants give out orders to personnel present at the worksite and also order for new supplies and equipment. As a plus, they maintain a certain number of employees at a particular point in time.
How Much Do OFFSHORE INSTALLATION MANAGERS EARN PER YEAR
An offshore Installation manger that occupies a big position on the offshore company, earns around ₦62m to ₦88.9m on an annual basis. The job of an OIM is to ensure that production is done according to set out rules and regulations.
They are well equipped to manage any form of emergency that might occur in the rig. Finally, OIM’s make sure that there is adequate maintenance of equipment and repair if the need arises.
Offshore MAINTENANCE/PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR EARNS ₦38.8M TO ₦86M PER YEAR
An entry-level, a production supervisor earns around ₦38.8m to ₦86m on a yearly basis. It is one of the most lucrative jobs on the Nigerian Offshore. Well, this figure still largely depends on the Offshore company. As a bonus to our readers, I will list a couple of Offshore companies in Nigeria in the last paragraph of this article.
Maintenance and production Managers ensure that electrical equipment and production plant equipment are functioning with great efficiency. With this, they can see to it that the offshore platform realizes it’s goals and reaches its targets. They coordinate with the engineers, Offshore installation manager, and consultant to solve problems that are production and maintenance related.
SUBSEA/CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERS EARNS ₦27M TO ₦67.8M YEARLY
If you are a Subsea engineer/ chemical process engineer, your average salary on an annual basis is around N27m to N67.8m. Now that we know how much they earn, let’s find out what they do. As a subsea engineer, your job is to design and install equipment that is needed for offshore
oil and gas drilling and production.
They are chief administrators in the installations of pipelines and wellheads. Not forgetting, subsea/Chemical process engineers help in Maintaining and improving the equipment used in the offshore. They are also involved in risk assessments- they do this in partnership with the Offshore consultants.
RESERVOIR ENGINEERS/DRILLING ENGINEERS EARN ₦26M TO ₦66M YEARLY
As a reservoir Engineer or Drilling Engineer, you are bound to be receiving ₦26m to ₦66m on an annual basis. They make use of data that is provided by geologists to create a simulation model that would be used in the prediction of the flow of oil in rocks. This would, in turn, enable them to draft out viable plans on how to extract the oil. They are grossly involved I oil well management. Starting from the creation of the well to testing and completion, they are deeply involved. Alongside with the offshore administrators, they help in planning the budget of drilling operations.
GEOLOGISTS EARN ₦23M TO ₦65M PER YEAR
This review would not be complete without naming geologists. Geologists are trained personnel that conduct seismic analysis and surveys. With their data, offshore consultants can locate new oil deposits and plan for drilling.
As a Geologist, you are bound to be receiving ₦23m to ₦65m as salary on an annual basis. A geologist basically examines the properties of an oil well and performs risk assessments. They simulate models that would be used in developing the oil well
WORKOVER OR COMPLETION STAFF EARN ₦20M TO ₦65.1M PER YEAR
For a start, an offshore completion worker or staff earns an average salary of ₦20m to ₦65.1m on an annual basis. They are responsible for the welfare of the oil well. Should any problems arise, they are the ones that do the fixing. They follow design patterns and specifications that have been set out before them to construct oil wells. Moreover or completion staff, troubleshoot technical or operational issues that are related to the completion process.
TANKER CAPTAIN EARNS ₦15M TO ₦40M PER YEAR
The job of a tanker captain is to drive large container vessels that carry oil from the Nigerian offshore to the ports. They are well paid, and their average salaries per year range from ₦15m to ₦40m.
Just like I stated earlier, they help in safely transporting the
oil to port facilities. They have to professionally manoeuvre the carrier vessel to avoid accidents. Finally, a tanker captain ensures safe unloading of cargo in the port facility.
MARINE ENGINEERS EARN ₦25M TO ₦55.8M YEARLY
A Nigerian marine engineer that is working offshore, earns around ₦25m to ₦55.8m as salary per year. They design and maintain marine engineering systems. They construct offshore rigs, equipment and pipeline. As they construct they also do the opposite which is to break down bad equipment and repair them.
HELICOPTER PILOTS/DIVERS EARN ₦27M TO ₦45M YEARLY
In most of the Nigerian Offshore platforms, helicopter pilots and divers earn around ₦27m to ₦45m on an annual basis. The employees of this category that have the experience, help in the transportation of cargo and personnel to and fro offshore platforms. They also transport injured or sick workers to onshore medical facilities for treatment. Helicopter Pilots are responsible for emergency air ambulance missions.
CONCLUSION
As you can see from the above, the salary scale of offshore workers shows that they are paid very well both on a monthly and yearly basis due to the kind of demanding work they do. Which of the offshore jobs listed above struck you more, and which of their salaries enticed you the most? Let us know in the comment section down below.
Nigeria Offshore Salary Structure 2025: Earnings Breakdown & Career Insights
