The numbers are impressive. A still relatively “new” industry in southwestern Pennsylvania – is now supporting approximately 20% of Washington County’s economy. With hundreds of thousands of people employed in an industry that ten years ago, many local people had never considered pursuing as a career path — it’s no wonder that recently, a group of high school guidance counselors were themselves seeking guidance on job opportunities and career paths for the students they currently advise.
Recently, Range welcomed the Washington/Greene/Fayette County Counselors Association to the Southern Marcellus Shale Division office.
The group chose Range’s office for their monthly meeting so they could hear directly from Range employees and ask questions about careers in the natural gas industry. Important, because even as oil and gas prices have trended downward in 2015, thousands of jobs remain open to qualified workers, and that need is expected to grow. First, the group learned more about how natural gas drilling works; and how local townships, counties and the state are benefiting from billions of dollars in revenue that the industry has generated. After that – educational options were on the table.
Information about jobs, including types of jobs and average salaries was also shared during the presentation.
- $93,963 Average Core Industry Wage ($43,871 more than PA average)
- $66,470 Average Ancillary Industry Wage ($16,387 more than PA average)
Jobs in industries that use natural gas were also a focus – from power generation, to transportation, manufacturing and many more.
At the end of the presentation, the guidance counselors had a chance to ask follow-up questions. Among them, “how can I help to get students on the right path?” “What kind of vocational training is available locally?” and finally “Are there jobs available for students right out of high school? Right out of college?”
The latest Department of Labor and Industry report found that there are 4,700 Marcellus job listings posted statewide. Most of those jobs can be found at www.marcelluscoalition.org – with training opportunities, career paths and degree requirements listed at www.shalenet.org.
More information about jobs with Range can be found by logging onto the Careers section of our website.