A person working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining in Samoa typically earns around 2,200 WST per month. Salaries range from 800 WST (lowest average) to 5,090 WST (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 | 2,010 WST |
Associate Analyst | 2,310 WST |
Associate Landman | 970 WST |
Auxiliary Equipment Operator | 920 WST |
Biomass Plant Technician | 1,040 WST |
Biomass Power Plant Manager | 2,960 WST |
Chemical Plant Operator | 1,680 WST |
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer | 2,250 WST |
Completions Engineer | 1,950 WST |
Cost Controller | 1,490 WST |
Crude Oil Marketing Representative | 2,380 WST |
Dispatcher | 870 WST |
Distribution Manager | 3,090 WST |
Dragline Operator | 1,000 WST |
Driller Offsider | 750 WST |
Dump Truck Driver | 880 WST |
Electric and Gas Operations Manager | 4,750 WST |
Energy Advisor | 3,220 WST |
Energy Analyst | 3,000 WST |
Energy Auditor | 2,610 WST |
Energy Dispatch Director | 3,540 WST |
Energy Technical Assistant | 1,380 WST |
Energy Technical Manager | 2,560 WST |
Energy Technical Trainer | 1,810 WST |
Exploration Manager | 3,920 WST |
Field Safety Auditor | 2,510 WST |
Fluids Engineer | 2,150 WST |
Fuel Cell Engineer | 2,300 WST |
Fuel Cell Technician | 1,080 WST |
Fuels Handler | 1,030 WST |
Gas Compressor Operator | 970 WST |
Gas Distribution Plant Operator | 1,770 WST |
Gas Supply Manager | 3,330 WST |
Geologist | 3,890 WST |
Geophysicist | 3,830 WST |
Geothermal Production Manager | 3,560 WST |
Geothermal Technician | 1,440 WST |
HSE Engineer | 2,070 WST |
HSE Officer | 1,370 WST |
HSEQ Administrator | 1,460 WST |
Inspector | 2,010 WST |
Instructor | 1,710 WST |
Instrument Designer | 1,640 WST |
Lead Technical Field Advisor | 2,820 WST |
Logistics and Tool Coordinator | 1,930 WST |
Maintenance Engineer | 2,100 WST |
Maintenance Superintendent | 1,920 WST |
Material Controller | 1,500 WST |
Mine Engineer | 2,070 WST |
Mine Surveyor | 2,330 WST |
Mining Project Administrator | 1,920 WST |
Mining Project Assistant | 1,470 WST |
Mining Project Controls Consultant | 2,300 WST |
Mining Project Coordinator | 1,880 WST |
Mining Project Engineer | 2,170 WST |
Mining Project Manager | 2,770 WST |
Mining Site Manager | 2,780 WST |
Mining Team Leader | 2,260 WST |
NDT Technician | 1,250 WST |
Oil Service Unit Operator | 1,170 WST |
Oil Trader | 2,880 WST |
Oilwell Pumper | 790 WST |
Petroleum Engineer | 2,400 WST |
Petroleum Geologist | 3,750 WST |
Petroleum Pump System Operator | 1,240 WST |
Pipeline Technician | 790 WST |
Power Coordinator | 1,290 WST |
Power Plant Operations Manager | 3,990 WST |
Power Plant Operator | 1,680 WST |
Radio Operator | 940 WST |
Reliability Engineer | 2,150 WST |
Reservoir Engineer | 2,050 WST |
Risk Analyst | 2,510 WST |
Roughneck | 2,210 WST |
Scaffolder | 1,430 WST |
Shutdown Engineer | 1,860 WST |
Solar Energy Installation Manager | 3,230 WST |
Solar Energy Systems Engineer | 2,250 WST |
Solar Photovoltaic Installer | 1,400 WST |
Solar Thermal Technician | 1,320 WST |
Supply Operations Manager | 3,550 WST |
Sustainability Specialist | 3,510 WST |
System Development Advisor | 2,560 WST |
Tanker Truck Driver | 820 WST |
Utility Operator | 1,100 WST |
Wind Energy Project Manager | 2,870 WST |
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining salaries in Samoa range from 800 WST per month (minimum average salary) to 5,090 WST per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 2,240 WST per month, which means that half (50%) of people working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining are earning less than 2,240 WST while the other half are earning more than 2,240 WST. 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 1,370 WST while 75% of them are earning more than 1,370 WST. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining are earning less than 3,740 WST while 25% are earning more than 3,740 WST.
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 Samoa costs anywhere from 12,200 Tala(s) to 36,600 Tala(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 Samoa who work in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining earn 11% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 2,290 WST | |
Female | -10% | 2,060 WST |
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining professionals in Samoa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 7% every 26 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 5% granted to employees every 28 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 | 8% | |
Energy | 7% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 5% | |
Travel | 4% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 2% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Samoa 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.
64% of surveyed staff in Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 36% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 36% | |
No Bonus | 64% |
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 Samoa earn 17% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 2,270 WST | |
Public Sector | +17% | 2,660 WST |