Wages and salaries are comparatively higher in the oil and gas industry than in other industries or types of occupations because careers in this field tend to be lucrative ones. Families come to Southeast New Mexico from all over the United States and particularly from states with “oil patches” in them as well. Folks from Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania join the communities of Southern New Mexico as oil patch families. They leave extended family members and their communities to pursue opportunities in places like Artesia, Carlsbad, and Hobbs.
Frequently, just one parent works in the industry while the other manages the household or works part time or full time in another industry than energy. Two family members working in the oil and gas industry is extremely challenging especially when raising children because of the early hours which begin long before school starts, but there are those families who buckle down to do it.
Hours are long working oil and gas either out in the field or working from an office. Many companies have offices in other cities in different time zones which means starting an hour earlier to adjust to the time change. The other factor which creates additional time is the commute. The bulk of oil and gas wells are outside of Carlsbad. This means that an hour or two or three or four commute (depending on where home is) is part of daily life. Shift work sometimes takes the burden of commutes off of employees and their families, but days on and days off may not fit well within typical work schedules or school schedules.
Oil patch families can feel isolated from the rest of the community because their schedules can be at odds with what’s going on in the community between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm especially if they are new to the area. Additionally, families with a parent in the oil and gas industry can suffer from fatigue or burn out. On one hand, parents in the oil and gas industry are the breadwinners but are left with the sense of having very little personal time or family time. On the other hand, parents not employed in the industry can take on the bulk majority of the tasks it takes to care for children, a household, and any employment responsibilities that they take on as well. The oil patch is a place where fortunes are won and lost, and hard work is the name of the game. The families with members employed in the industry have unique needs in a community as a result.
