Commercial at oil and gas

Curious if anyone knows how much people who aren't traders in Supply and Trading but work at oil majors energy suppliers etc. Think risk, optimisation, scheduler etc. What's the salary progression like?

Doubt anyone will know cos the headcount is so low and glassdoor doesn't have much (which is why I'm posting here) but I guess it's worth a try.

Thanks in advance 

17 Comments
 

Pay is generally a function of value add and replace-ability.  Traders can get big bucks because there’s limited talent available, and the value add is clearly measurable.  If you can demonstrate both things in a role outside of trading, it’s possible to make more than what you might think a person in that role makes.  You mentioned more operationally focused roles which are more about avoiding mistakes.  Those are important.  But ones where you bring in revenue or generate valuable ideas have higher upside- outside of traders, this can be business development and analytics.  And 7 figures is certainly possible in both. 

 
Most Helpful

I am currently employed as a front office analyst at a major oil company in London. Although the traders and senior staff are highly compensated, the rest of us, including myself and other front office staff (bar Operators), earn decent salaries but nothing exceptional. Unfortunately, receiving pay raises is infrequent, even when switching roles, and our merit is not typically rewarded with financial incentives.

To illustrate, the company experienced a highly profitable year, similar to other firms in the industry. However, the corporate bonus was only slightly higher than the previous year. While I cannot disclose exact figures, the bonus in an average year is approximately 15%. In hindsight, I regret not pursuing a career in banking since my work is similar to that of my friends in sales and trading, but they receive compensation packages that are roughly double mine and steadily increase over time.

 

It really varies by company.  In the US for example, Exxon is known for not paying discretionary bonuses to analysts while BP is.  And it really varies by role within the same company, and within the various levels of performers in that role.  But generally speaking, individuals in any role are not automatically rewarded just because a company has a record year.  If a trader has 0 pnl that year, there is no sympathy bonus for that year.  For it to really move the needle at an individual level, the person needs to credibly claim to have been a key driver.  

 

Typical path at an oil major is to rotate around a few 'tick box' roles such as Risk, Market Analysis, Operations etc. Then sit the internal trader assessment, BP for example have the ATC (assessed trader course). Ensure you pass that else the chance of you trading at said firm will be precisely 0 and you would have to leave and try elsewhere.

In terms of non-trading front office roles I'd recommend a firm that places all the front office staff in the front office bonus pool and then perhaps market analysis or operations/scheduling would be enticing. Equinor do this along with RWE, that's the only way ~50% bonuses are possible else you'll be working the long hours for a meagre 10-20% corporate bonus.

 

Animi sint aut laudantium quia maiores enim minima. Nam quia quis in iusto id. Vel necessitatibus maxime ab qui est maxime est dolor.

Minima aut temporibus est accusantium corrupti deleniti. Earum consectetur quia ea aperiam quos. Ipsum sunt sit quam praesentium nesciunt perferendis. Iste unde dolor est quia suscipit et facilis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”