A person working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining in Laos typically earns around 4,100,000 LAK per month. Salaries range from 1,490,000 LAK (lowest average) to 9,480,000 LAK (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Assistant Yard Manager | 3,990,000 LAK |
Associate Analyst | 4,830,000 LAK |
Associate Landman | 2,030,000 LAK |
Auxiliary Equipment Operator | 1,820,000 LAK |
Biomass Plant Technician | 2,090,000 LAK |
Biomass Power Plant Manager | 6,100,000 LAK |
Chemical Plant Operator | 3,530,000 LAK |
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer | 4,500,000 LAK |
Completions Engineer | 4,030,000 LAK |
Cost Controller | 3,230,000 LAK |
Crude Oil Marketing Representative | 4,640,000 LAK |
Dispatcher | 1,840,000 LAK |
Distribution Manager | 5,900,000 LAK |
Dragline Operator | 1,980,000 LAK |
Driller Offsider | 1,470,000 LAK |
Dump Truck Driver | 1,730,000 LAK |
Electric and Gas Operations Manager | 9,360,000 LAK |
Energy Advisor | 6,760,000 LAK |
Energy Analyst | 6,240,000 LAK |
Energy Auditor | 5,590,000 LAK |
Energy Dispatch Director | 7,180,000 LAK |
Energy Technical Assistant | 2,610,000 LAK |
Energy Technical Manager | 5,070,000 LAK |
Energy Technical Trainer | 3,720,000 LAK |
Exploration Manager | 7,410,000 LAK |
Field Safety Auditor | 4,920,000 LAK |
Fluids Engineer | 4,110,000 LAK |
Fuel Cell Engineer | 4,730,000 LAK |
Fuel Cell Technician | 2,080,000 LAK |
Fuels Handler | 2,010,000 LAK |
Gas Compressor Operator | 1,810,000 LAK |
Gas Distribution Plant Operator | 3,420,000 LAK |
Gas Supply Manager | 6,660,000 LAK |
Geologist | 8,010,000 LAK |
Geophysicist | 7,460,000 LAK |
Geothermal Production Manager | 7,200,000 LAK |
Geothermal Technician | 3,000,000 LAK |
HSE Engineer | 4,300,000 LAK |
HSE Officer | 2,660,000 LAK |
HSEQ Administrator | 2,920,000 LAK |
Inspector | 3,950,000 LAK |
Instructor | 3,330,000 LAK |
Instrument Designer | 3,500,000 LAK |
Lead Technical Field Advisor | 5,340,000 LAK |
Logistics and Tool Coordinator | 3,810,000 LAK |
Maintenance Engineer | 4,580,000 LAK |
Maintenance Superintendent | 3,970,000 LAK |
Material Controller | 2,810,000 LAK |
Mine Engineer | 3,960,000 LAK |
Mine Surveyor | 4,840,000 LAK |
Mining Project Administrator | 3,780,000 LAK |
Mining Project Assistant | 2,870,000 LAK |
Mining Project Controls Consultant | 4,610,000 LAK |
Mining Project Coordinator | 3,670,000 LAK |
Mining Project Engineer | 4,300,000 LAK |
Mining Project Manager | 5,430,000 LAK |
Mining Site Manager | 5,740,000 LAK |
Mining Team Leader | 4,530,000 LAK |
NDT Technician | 2,590,000 LAK |
Oil Service Unit Operator | 2,130,000 LAK |
Oil Trader | 5,640,000 LAK |
Oilwell Pumper | 1,570,000 LAK |
Petroleum Engineer | 4,930,000 LAK |
Petroleum Geologist | 7,630,000 LAK |
Petroleum Pump System Operator | 2,330,000 LAK |
Pipeline Technician | 1,660,000 LAK |
Power Coordinator | 2,740,000 LAK |
Power Plant Operations Manager | 8,610,000 LAK |
Power Plant Operator | 3,620,000 LAK |
Radio Operator | 1,960,000 LAK |
Reliability Engineer | 4,090,000 LAK |
Reservoir Engineer | 3,990,000 LAK |
Risk Analyst | 5,500,000 LAK |
Roughneck | 4,440,000 LAK |
Scaffolder | 2,930,000 LAK |
Shutdown Engineer | 3,670,000 LAK |
Solar Energy Installation Manager | 6,040,000 LAK |
Solar Energy Systems Engineer | 4,330,000 LAK |
Solar Photovoltaic Installer | 2,780,000 LAK |
Solar Thermal Technician | 2,690,000 LAK |
Supply Operations Manager | 6,660,000 LAK |
Sustainability Specialist | 7,190,000 LAK |
System Development Advisor | 5,090,000 LAK |
Tanker Truck Driver | 1,620,000 LAK |
Utility Operator | 2,280,000 LAK |
Wind Energy Project Manager | 5,910,000 LAK |
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining salaries in Laos range from 1,490,000 LAK per month (minimum average salary) to 9,480,000 LAK per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 4,420,000 LAK per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining are earning less than 4,420,000 LAK while the other half are earning more than 4,420,000 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 people working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining are earning less than 2,660,000 LAK while 75% of them are earning more than 2,660,000 LAK. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining are earning less than 7,510,000 LAK while 25% are earning more than 7,510,000 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 the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
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 this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then 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 employees in Laos who work in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining earn 13% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 4,350,000 LAK | |
Female | -12% | 3,840,000 LAK |
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining professionals in Laos are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 6% every 27 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 2022. 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.
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field 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.
61% of surveyed staff in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 39% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 39% | |
No Bonus | 61% |
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 Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining is 10% less than that of All Jobs.
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 |