Having more than 250 days of rest per year and an annual salary that can exceed 110 thousand euros at the age of 29 is not a reality for the majority. But this is precisely the professional life of Amalie Lundstad, a process engineer on an oil platform off the coast of Norway, in the North Sea, near Bergen.
According to Executive Digest, a website specializing in economic and management information, Amalie began her career as a firefighter before joining the oil industry three years ago.
Today she works as a process technician and area manager, an unusual professional path that has placed her in one of the most demanding sectors in the world, both from a physical and psychological point of view.
A demanding routine in the North Sea
According to the same source, the engineer works shifts for two consecutive weeks, alternating between day and night shifts.
Each work cycle begins with the journey from Oslo to Bergen and continues by helicopter to the platform. “I work two weeks in a row, day or night, and the shifts always change. No day is the same”, he explains. The start of each shift is set at 5:45 pm daily, regardless of whether it is the morning or the end of the day.
Upon assuming the position, Amalie tours the facilities, distributes roles and reviews all security protocols.
Safety is considered an absolute priority, with rigorous procedures, a requirement justified by the risks inherent to the offshore industry.
Data cited by Executive Digest indicate that between 2014 and 2019, 409 workers died on oil and gas platforms in the United States alone, a reflection of the dangerous nature of this type of work.
To reduce risks, all tasks are carried out as a team, with each operation supervised by two professionals, ensuring that everything takes place in accordance with established standards.
High salaries and personal sacrifices
The base salary, explains Amalie, is not particularly high in itself. But the additional payments for shifts and remuneration for working abroad mean that the annual salary varies between around 76,600 and 110,700 euros, according to the same source.
Despite the attractive financial conditions, the personal cost is significant. Working in this sector involves absences on holidays, birthdays and other important dates, a sacrifice that not everyone is willing to make.
For those looking for an unusual, challenging career with the opportunity to travel, the experience can be rewarding. But it is a reality that requires resilience and adaptation.
Amalie Lundstad thus exemplifies an unusual professional path, which combines high income and days off with intense responsibilities and a prolonged absence from family life, a delicate balance that defines life offshore, according to .
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