A person working as a Drilling Engineer in Laos typically earns around 4,170,000 LAK per month. Salaries range from 1,920,000 LAK (lowest) to 6,630,000 LAK (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Drilling Engineer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Drilling Engineer salaries in Laos range from 1,920,000 LAK per month (minimum salary) to 6,630,000 LAK per month (maximum salary).
The median salary is 4,500,000 LAK per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Drilling Engineer(s) are earning less than 4,500,000 LAK while the other half are earning more than 4,500,000 LAK. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Drilling Engineer(s) are earning less than 2,890,000 LAK while 75% of them are earning more than 2,890,000 LAK. Also from the diagram, 75% of Drilling Engineer(s) are earning less than 6,010,000 LAK while 25% are earning more than 6,010,000 LAK.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Drilling Engineer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Drilling Engineer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 2,180,000 LAK per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,910,000 LAK per month, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 4,300,000 LAK per month, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Drilling Engineer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 5,240,000 LAK per month, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 5,710,000 LAK per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 6,180,000 LAK per month, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 2,180,000 LAK | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 2,910,000 LAK |
5 - 10 Years | +48% | 4,300,000 LAK |
10 - 15 Years | +22% | 5,240,000 LAK |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 5,710,000 LAK |
20+ Years | +8% | 6,180,000 LAK |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Drilling Engineer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Certificate or Diploma, the average salary of a Drilling Engineer is 2,480,000 LAK per month.
While someone with a Bachelor's Degree gets a salary of 3,900,000 LAK per month, 57% more than someone having a Certificate or Diploma degree.
A Master's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 6,540,000 LAK per month, 68% more than someone with a Bachelor's Degree.
Certificate or Diploma | 2,480,000 LAK | |
Bachelor's Degree | +57% | 3,900,000 LAK |
Master's Degree | +68% | 6,540,000 LAK |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Laos costs anywhere from 22,700,000 Kip(s) to 68,200,000 Kip(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Drilling Engineer employees in Laos earn 13% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 4,430,000 LAK | |
Female | -12% | 3,910,000 LAK |
Drilling Engineer(s) in Laos are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 7% every 29 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 4% granted to employees every 29 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 9% | |
Energy | 9% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 9% | |
Travel | 9% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 9% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Laos for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
A Drilling Engineer is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
84% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 16% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 16% | |
No Bonus | 84% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Drilling Engineer is 9% more than that of Engineering. Also, Engineering salaries are 16% less than those of All Jobs.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 3,770,000 LAK | ![]() |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 3,030,000 LAK | ![]() |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 4,470,000 LAK | ![]() |
Associate Engineer | 3,770,000 LAK | ![]() |
Autocad Operator | 2,460,000 LAK | ![]() |
Automation Engineer | 4,350,000 LAK | ![]() |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 3,810,000 LAK | ![]() |
Biochemical Engineer | 3,760,000 LAK | ![]() |
BMS Engineer | 3,710,000 LAK | ![]() |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 2,160,000 LAK | ![]() |
Broadcast Engineer | 4,250,000 LAK | ![]() |
CAD Design Engineer | 4,360,000 LAK | ![]() |
CAD Designer | 2,690,000 LAK | ![]() |
CAE Engineer | 4,080,000 LAK | ![]() |
Ceramics Engineer | 3,720,000 LAK | ![]() |
Civil Engineer | 4,280,000 LAK | ![]() |
Commissioning Engineer | 4,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
Communications Engineer | 4,320,000 LAK | ![]() |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 3,460,000 LAK | ![]() |
Contract Associate Engineer | 3,830,000 LAK | ![]() |
Control Systems Engineer | 3,910,000 LAK | ![]() |
Controls Engineer | 4,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Controls Software Engineer | 3,570,000 LAK | ![]() |
Corrosion Engineer | 3,590,000 LAK | ![]() |
Design Engineer | 4,320,000 LAK | ![]() |
Drafter | 2,690,000 LAK | ![]() |
Drafting Manager | 4,560,000 LAK | ![]() |
Drilling Engineer | 4,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Electrical Draughtsman | 2,060,000 LAK | ![]() |
Electrical Engineer | 4,340,000 LAK | ![]() |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 5,770,000 LAK | ![]() |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 4,530,000 LAK | ![]() |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 2,250,000 LAK | ![]() |
Energy Engineer | 4,470,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engine Assembler | 1,780,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineer | 4,320,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Account Manager | 4,650,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Chief Designer | 4,870,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Consultant | 5,560,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 5,940,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Lab Technician | 3,860,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Planning Manager | 5,930,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Production Manager | 7,420,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Project Analyst | 5,000,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 4,810,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Project Director | 8,330,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Project Manager | 5,840,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 6,370,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 3,110,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Sales Manager | 5,810,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Technician | 3,240,000 LAK | ![]() |
Engineering Technologist | 3,070,000 LAK | ![]() |
Environmental Engineer | 4,080,000 LAK | ![]() |
Equipment Engineer | 3,860,000 LAK | ![]() |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 5,670,000 LAK | ![]() |
Estimator | 3,680,000 LAK | ![]() |
Fabrication Specialist | 2,880,000 LAK | ![]() |
Fabricator | 1,880,000 LAK | ![]() |
Facade Engineer | 3,890,000 LAK | ![]() |
Fiber Analyst | 2,340,000 LAK | ![]() |
Field Engineer | 4,110,000 LAK | ![]() |
Field Engineering Manager | 6,800,000 LAK | ![]() |
Fire Engineer | 3,980,000 LAK | ![]() |
Fitter and Turner | 1,290,000 LAK | ![]() |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 4,720,000 LAK | ![]() |
Generation Engineer | 4,120,000 LAK | ![]() |
Genetic Engineer | 4,720,000 LAK | ![]() |
Geological Engineer | 4,320,000 LAK | ![]() |
Geotechnical Engineer | 4,360,000 LAK | ![]() |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 2,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
Highway Engineer | 4,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
HSE Professional | 3,970,000 LAK | ![]() |
HVAC Engineer | 4,510,000 LAK | ![]() |
HVAC Supervisor | 3,780,000 LAK | ![]() |
Industrial Engineer | 4,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 4,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Instrument Engineer | 4,100,000 LAK | ![]() |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 3,990,000 LAK | ![]() |
Instrumentation Engineer | 4,230,000 LAK | ![]() |
Instrumentation Manager | 4,130,000 LAK | ![]() |
Irrigation Engineer | 3,850,000 LAK | ![]() |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 4,550,000 LAK | ![]() |
Locomotive Engineer | 3,850,000 LAK | ![]() |
Maintenance Engineer | 3,780,000 LAK | ![]() |
Maintenance Fitter | 1,510,000 LAK | ![]() |
Maintenance Manager | 3,970,000 LAK | ![]() |
Manufacturing Engineer | 3,950,000 LAK | ![]() |
Marine Engineer | 4,200,000 LAK | ![]() |
Materials Engineer | 4,160,000 LAK | ![]() |
Materials Researcher | 3,670,000 LAK | ![]() |
Materials Technician | 2,870,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 4,430,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 4,610,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical Designer | 3,430,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineer | 4,600,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 5,570,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechanical Inspector | 3,870,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mechatronics Engineer | 4,360,000 LAK | ![]() |
Mining Engineer | 4,030,000 LAK | ![]() |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 4,480,000 LAK | ![]() |
Optical Engineer | 4,050,000 LAK | ![]() |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 2,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
PCB Assembler | 1,560,000 LAK | ![]() |
Photonics Engineer | 4,680,000 LAK | ![]() |
Photonics Technician | 3,880,000 LAK | ![]() |
Pipeline Engineer | 3,810,000 LAK | ![]() |
Piping Designer | 2,290,000 LAK | ![]() |
Piping Engineer | 3,930,000 LAK | ![]() |
Planning Engineer | 4,180,000 LAK | ![]() |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 1,960,000 LAK | ![]() |
Principal Cost Engineer | 4,150,000 LAK | ![]() |
Principal Engineer | 4,200,000 LAK | ![]() |
Principal Support Engineer | 4,270,000 LAK | ![]() |
Process Engineer | 4,140,000 LAK | ![]() |
Process Operator | 2,550,000 LAK | ![]() |
Product Development Engineer | 4,420,000 LAK | ![]() |
Product Development Technician | 2,980,000 LAK | ![]() |
Product Engineer | 4,490,000 LAK | ![]() |
Product Safety Engineer | 4,070,000 LAK | ![]() |
Production Engineer | 4,110,000 LAK | ![]() |
Project Engineer | 4,200,000 LAK | ![]() |
Proposal Manager | 5,240,000 LAK | ![]() |
Purchasing Engineer | 3,740,000 LAK | ![]() |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 4,000,000 LAK | ![]() |
Rail Engineer | 4,140,000 LAK | ![]() |
Robotics Engineer | 4,780,000 LAK | ![]() |
Robotics Technician | 3,520,000 LAK | ![]() |
Safety Engineer | 4,180,000 LAK | ![]() |
Safety Inspector | 3,320,000 LAK | ![]() |
Safety Manager | 4,740,000 LAK | ![]() |
Safety Officer | 2,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Sales Engineer | 4,590,000 LAK | ![]() |
Scheduling Engineer | 3,710,000 LAK | ![]() |
Service Engineer | 4,510,000 LAK | ![]() |
Solar Engineer | 4,480,000 LAK | ![]() |
Staff Engineer | 3,910,000 LAK | ![]() |
Static Equipment Engineer | 4,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Stationary Engineer | 3,600,000 LAK | ![]() |
Stress Engineer | 3,820,000 LAK | ![]() |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 4,100,000 LAK | ![]() |
Structural Designer | 3,710,000 LAK | ![]() |
Structural Engineer | 4,170,000 LAK | ![]() |
Structural Technician | 2,780,000 LAK | ![]() |
Supply Chain Specialist | 4,140,000 LAK | ![]() |
Surveyor | 3,180,000 LAK | ![]() |
Technical Affairs Officer | 2,200,000 LAK | ![]() |
Technical Assistant | 2,100,000 LAK | ![]() |
Technical Engineer | 3,470,000 LAK | ![]() |
Technical Support Engineer | 3,460,000 LAK | ![]() |
Tender Engineer | 3,730,000 LAK | ![]() |
Test Development Engineer | 3,960,000 LAK | ![]() |
Transportation Engineer | 4,030,000 LAK | ![]() |
Validation Engineer | 3,670,000 LAK | ![]() |
Verification Engineer | 4,010,000 LAK | ![]() |
Wastewater Engineer | 4,230,000 LAK | ![]() |
Wind Energy Engineer | 4,030,000 LAK | ![]() |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 5,370,000 LAK | ![]() |
Work Planner | 2,880,000 LAK | ![]() |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Laos earn 25% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 4,050,000 LAK | |
Public Sector | +25% | 5,050,000 LAK |