Discover Your Future As A Landman

January 10, 2019
Students studying at the University of Wyoming
Discover opportunities and salaries for future landmen.

Learn about a career as a Landman

By Pam Henderson, Academic Advising Manager

Landmen are an important part of the exploration and production teams for oil and gas companies. Today, we'll look at information released in 2018 by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) focusing on the type of work they do, job opportunities, where they work and salaries.

Type of Landwork Performed

The types of landwork performed include:

  • Determination of ownership from title opinions
  • Curing title defects when titles are improperly recorded or have a mortgage
  • Determining ownership from records
  • Negotiation of oil and gas leases
  • Title examination

To complete this type of work, students considering becoming a landman must have strong analytical skills, pay attention to detail, demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, and be proficient in oral and written communication.

Common Job Opportunities

According to the AAPL survey, top landman employers are oil and gas independent companies, land service providers and major oil and gas companies. Graduates of the University of Wyoming program are working for all three types of employers including:

  • Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
  • Basin Oil and Gas
  • BP Lower 48
  • Hoover and Stacy
  • Lonetree Energy and Associates
  • McDonald Land Services
  • NorthStar Energy
  • Pacer Energy
  • Peabody Energy
  • Royal Dutch Shell

More than 8% of of the survey respondents are owners of their company. Are your interested in becoming an entrepreneur? This is a great way to meet that dream!

Salaries by Education Level

Education is an important component for prospective landmen. The AAPL survey reports that graduates from accredited Petroleum Land Management or Energy Management programs are higher than those with another bachelor's degree. Graduating with a degree from an accredited program such as the Energy Resource Management and Development program at the University of Wyoming is a great first step.

Average starting salary

  • 4-Year Bachelor's Degree In Petroleum Land Management/Energy Management - $156,062
  • 4-year Bachelor's Degree - $137,143

Salaries by Year of Land Experience

Employees with 0 to 5 years of land experience report average starting salaries of $84,719. Independent contractors with the same experience start at $76,742. Alumni from the University of Wyoming tell us their starting salaries as an employee range from $65,000 to $96,000 while independent contractors start at $62,000.

Discover More

Is becoming a landman a good fit for you? Visit our website or plan on attending our UW Showcase on Saturday, February 2, 2019. Meet our professors and current students to realize your future as a landman!

 

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