Dickinson Petroleum Jobs | Video

Alex Hagan | 11/20/2012

Dickinson is rapidly growing like every other community in western North Dakota. The city continues to be a hot spot for oil field jobs with many companies headquartered there. The Queen City may be the place to go for energy sector jobs.

Burger King in Dickinson is busy non-stop. Plenty of oil field and construction workers drive through daily. But those energy jobs are making it hard to keep employees.

"When I moved out here we we`re paying $8.50 to $9.00 an hour and we jumped up to $13.00 an hour and it`s hard just to get the place staffed," said general manager Jen Dirk.

Staff shortage may be the norm in the Queen City for non-energy jobs. According to Job Service North Dakota, Dickinson is the only oil hub city to have an increase in oil field jobs every year since 2006. The average salary being just under $100,000.

"They always have the presence of some of that big oil and gas companies that were headquartered or staged out they were well positioned when the Bakken play and when the activity came south towards the Dickinson area," said Michael Zeisch with Job Service North Dakota.

In Dickinson alone there was a 122 percent increase in energy sector jobs from 2010 to 2011. The question is, "What kind of impact is that going to have on other sector jobs?"

"The small retail or the service industry has a hard time affording a competitive wage. So what happens is they have to change their business model, how can I be more efficient," said Ray Ann Kilen with the Small Business Development Center.

But a large amount of money in the oil fields is very enticing for job seekers.

"Everybody perceives that they can go out in the oil fields and make a ton of money. The reality is that not everybody is suited for that," Kilen said.

Burger King is coping so far despite the staff shortage.

"We`re getting them in here and it`s enough to do what we`re doing right now," Dirk said.

As long as the energy sector stands strong in North Dakota, newcomers will continue to pursue jobs in the oil fields.

Williston only had one decrease in energy sector jobs from 2008 to 2009.

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