For skilled tradespeople, refinery turnarounds and industrial shutdowns can provide some of the best opportunities to earn strong hourly wages, work significant overtime, receive travel compensation, and build experience at major facilities across the United States.
These projects are rarely easy. The shifts are long, the schedules are demanding, and the work often requires travel away from home. However, experienced pipefitters, welders, millwrights, boilermakers, electricians, ironworkers, scaffold builders, instrumentation technicians, and safety professionals know that turnaround season can also be one of the busiest and most profitable times of the year.
Refineries and processing plants periodically reduce or stop operations so contractors can inspect equipment, replace piping, repair vessels, rebuild machinery, upgrade electrical systems, perform code-required inspections, and complete major maintenance work that cannot safely be performed while the facility is operating normally.
Because turnaround schedules are compressed, facilities often need hundreds or even thousands of temporary workers for a limited period. Contractors may recruit workers from across the country, especially when the local labor market cannot supply enough qualified tradespeople.
For anyone searching for refinery jobs, oil and gas construction work, outage employment, or traveling industrial positions, the following companies are worth watching.
Job availability changes frequently, so workers should verify each opening directly with the employer before making travel arrangements.
1. Turner Industries
Turner Industries is one of the best-known industrial service contractors in the Gulf Coast region. The company regularly supports refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, power generation sites, and other heavy industrial operations.
Turner frequently recruits pipefitters, welders, millwrights, electricians, instrument technicians, riggers, crane operators, scaffold builders, and general industrial workers. Its strongest hiring activity is often concentrated in Louisiana and Texas, although projects may be available elsewhere.
2. Bilfinger
Bilfinger provides industrial maintenance, engineering, construction, and turnaround services across the United States.
Workers with experience in refinery maintenance, pipe installation, mechanical work, fabrication, and plant shutdowns may find opportunities through Bilfinger at refineries, chemical plants, power facilities, and other industrial sites.
The company is often a strong match for experienced traveling craftsmen who are familiar with strict safety programs and large project environments.
3. Zachry Group
Zachry Group is a major engineering, construction, and maintenance contractor serving the energy, chemical, refining, and power industries.
The company regularly recruits skilled craft workers, field supervisors, safety personnel, planners, schedulers, engineers, and project management professionals.
Zachry projects can involve new construction, plant expansions, maintenance, shutdowns, and turnarounds throughout the United States.
4. Brock Group
Brock Group is widely known for providing scaffolding, insulation, coatings, fireproofing, and other specialty industrial services.
Its workforce is commonly found at refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, power plants, and manufacturing sites.
Scaffold builders, insulators, painters, laborers, supervisors, safety professionals, and industrial support personnel should regularly monitor Brock’s job openings.
5. Performance Contractors
Performance Contractors is a major industrial construction company with a strong presence throughout the Gulf Coast.
The company works on chemical, refining, petrochemical, power, and manufacturing projects. It often hires pipefitters, welders, ironworkers, equipment operators, riggers, electricians, millwrights, and other skilled trades.
Workers seeking large industrial construction projects in Louisiana or Texas may find Performance Contractors especially relevant.
6. Brown & Root Industrial Services
Brown & Root has a long history in industrial construction and maintenance.
The company supports refineries, chemical plants, manufacturing sites, terminals, and other heavy industrial facilities. Its job opportunities may include pipefitters, welders, millwrights, equipment operators, scaffold builders, maintenance personnel, planners, and supervisors.
Brown & Root frequently participates in maintenance and turnaround work where experienced workers are needed on short notice.
7. Jacobs
Jacobs provides engineering, construction, consulting, and technical services to energy and industrial clients.
Although many Jacobs positions are engineering or professional roles, the company and its project partners may also recruit field construction, maintenance, safety, inspection, and project-control personnel.
Experienced workers with supervisory, planning, quality-control, or project-management backgrounds may find strong opportunities through Jacobs.
8. Day & Zimmermann
Day & Zimmermann is well known for staffing power plant outages, nuclear facilities, industrial maintenance projects, and other large construction assignments.
The company often recruits electricians, pipefitters, boilermakers, welders, millwrights, instrumentation technicians, and safety professionals for temporary outage work.
Workers who are open to traveling for scheduled shutdowns should frequently check Day & Zimmermann listings.
9. Kiewit Industrial
Kiewit is one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America.
Its industrial division supports energy, oil and gas, chemical, mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects. Hiring may include craft workers, foremen, superintendents, engineers, safety managers, quality-control personnel, and project staff.
Kiewit projects are often large, structured, and highly safety-focused.
10. Fluor
Fluor provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project-management services worldwide.
Its U.S. projects may involve refineries, chemical plants, LNG facilities, energy infrastructure, manufacturing, and government sites.
Openings may range from skilled craft positions to engineering, planning, safety, quality assurance, and project-management roles.
11. Matrix Service
Matrix Service works in energy, storage terminals, refining, petrochemical, power, and industrial construction.
The company is particularly active in tank construction, terminal work, mechanical installation, plant maintenance, and specialty industrial projects.
Welders, fitters, ironworkers, equipment operators, and supervisors may find relevant openings through Matrix.
12. Phoenix Industrial
Phoenix Industrial provides construction, maintenance, fabrication, and specialty services to heavy industrial clients.
The company may recruit workers for power, chemical, manufacturing, mining, and energy projects. Opportunities can include pipefitters, welders, electricians, millwrights, equipment operators, and construction supervisors.
13. EMCOR Industrial Services
EMCOR companies provide mechanical, electrical, industrial maintenance, facilities, and construction services across the country.
Because EMCOR operates through multiple subsidiaries, job seekers should monitor both the parent company’s career site and regional affiliated companies.
Positions may include industrial mechanics, pipefitters, electricians, HVAC technicians, welders, and maintenance professionals.
14. TIC – The Industrial Company
TIC is part of the Kiewit organization and specializes in heavy industrial construction.
Its projects may include power plants, refineries, chemical facilities, mining operations, and renewable energy installations.
Experienced craft workers, foremen, superintendents, quality-control personnel, and safety professionals may find traveling opportunities with TIC.
15. PCL Industrial Construction
PCL operates across commercial, civil, and industrial construction markets.
Its industrial division may support oil and gas, petrochemical, power, manufacturing, and processing facilities.
PCL opportunities can include pipefitters, welders, millwrights, electricians, equipment operators, field engineers, and project-management staff.
16. ParFab
ParFab specializes in refinery and petrochemical maintenance, turnarounds, fabrication, and mechanical services.
The company is particularly relevant for workers with experience in exchangers, boilers, furnaces, piping, vessels, and heavy industrial maintenance.
Pipefitters, welders, boilermakers, mechanics, and supervisors should watch ParFab’s hiring activity during turnaround season.
17. Repcon
Repcon is another major contractor involved in refinery turnarounds, maintenance, and construction.
The company frequently supports complex mechanical projects at refineries and petrochemical facilities.
Experienced pipefitters, welders, boilermakers, millwrights, riggers, crane operators, and safety professionals may find temporary and long-term assignments through Repcon.
18. Worley
Worley provides engineering, project delivery, consulting, construction, and maintenance services to energy, chemicals, and industrial clients.
Its openings often include engineers, planners, schedulers, project controls, inspectors, construction managers, safety personnel, and maintenance specialists.
Experienced craft supervisors and workers transitioning into planning or management may find Worley especially attractive.
19. S&B Engineers and Constructors
S&B Engineers and Constructors is heavily involved in engineering and building chemical, petrochemical, energy, and manufacturing facilities.
The company often recruits pipefitters, welders, electricians, ironworkers, millwrights, equipment operators, and construction management personnel.
Much of its work is concentrated along the Gulf Coast, where large petrochemical projects regularly require skilled labor.
20. BrandSafway
BrandSafway provides access systems, scaffolding, insulation, coatings, forming, shoring, and specialty services.
The company works at refineries, chemical plants, power plants, industrial facilities, and major construction projects.
Scaffold builders, insulators, painters, laborers, foremen, and safety personnel may find frequent openings.
21. Manhattan Mechanical Services
Manhattan Mechanical Services performs industrial mechanical construction, maintenance, and piping work, particularly in Illinois and surrounding regions.
For pipefitters, welders, and mechanical craftsmen who want to remain closer to the Midwest, this company may offer a strong alternative to Gulf Coast travel work.
22. Marathon Petroleum
Marathon Petroleum operates refineries, terminals, pipelines, and other energy assets across the United States.
The company may hire operators, maintenance mechanics, instrumentation technicians, electricians, engineers, reliability professionals, and refinery support personnel.
Direct-hire refinery positions can be highly competitive, but they may offer more stability than short-term contractor assignments.
Common Refinery and Turnaround Positions
Turnaround hiring is not limited to pipefitters and welders. A large shutdown may require workers across dozens of disciplines.
Common openings include pipefitters, pipe welders, structural welders, millwrights, boilermakers, ironworkers, electricians, instrumentation technicians, equipment operators, crane operators, riggers, scaffold builders, insulators, painters, safety professionals, fire watch attendants, hole watch attendants, quality-control inspectors, planners, schedulers, foremen, general foremen, superintendents, laborers, material coordinators, and tool-room attendants.
The exact qualifications vary by company and facility. Many refinery projects require workers to pass drug testing, background checks, site-specific safety training, respiratory-fit testing, and craft verification.
Workers may also need a TWIC card, OSHA training, NCCER credentials, welding certifications, or a current basic orientation credential depending on the site.
U.S. Regions With Frequent Refinery Hiring
The largest concentration of refinery and petrochemical work is found along the Gulf Coast.
Texas cities such as Houston, Baytown, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, and Freeport support some of the country’s largest energy and chemical facilities.
Louisiana is another major industrial center. Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Garyville, Geismar, Norco, and the New Orleans area regularly attract turnaround contractors and traveling craft workers.
The Midwest also provides significant refinery opportunities. Workers may find projects near Whiting, Indiana; Lemont and Wood River, Illinois; Toledo, Ohio; and other regional industrial centers.
Additional opportunities can appear in Kentucky, Kansas, Montana, Washington, California, Alaska, and other states with refining, chemical, LNG, power, mining, or heavy manufacturing operations.
What to Look for Before Accepting a Traveling Job
A high hourly rate does not always mean the job will produce the best overall paycheck.
Workers should confirm the scheduled hours, overtime rules, expected project duration, per diem, travel pay, lodging arrangements, start date, safety requirements, and whether the position is union or nonunion.
Ask whether the rate applies to all hours or whether different classifications receive different pay. Confirm whether per diem is paid seven days per week or only for days worked. Find out whether travel reimbursement is provided at the beginning or end of the assignment.
It is also important to verify the job through the employer’s official recruiting department. Workers should be cautious of recruiters who request money, gift cards, banking credentials, or payment for guaranteed placement.
Legitimate employers may require standard onboarding information after a formal offer, but they should not demand payment to give someone a job.
How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Hired
A strong industrial résumé should clearly show craft experience, refinery and power plant history, leadership roles, certifications, and specific systems or materials handled.
Pipefitters should mention experience with carbon steel, stainless steel, threaded piping, socket weld, high-pressure systems, Victaulic piping, hydrotesting, rigging, blueprint reading, isometrics, layout, equipment setting, and crew leadership when applicable.
Welders should include processes, positions, alloys, current certifications, and whether they have passed refinery or contractor-specific tests.
Workers should keep copies of their TWIC card, OSHA card, NCCER credentials, driver’s license, résumé, welding papers, and other certifications ready for recruiters.
Turnaround jobs can fill quickly. A worker who responds immediately with complete documents often has a better chance than someone who waits several days.
Final Thoughts
Refinery and turnaround work remains one of the most important employment sectors for America’s skilled trades.
The work requires sacrifice, experience, physical endurance, and a strong commitment to safety. For those willing to travel and work demanding schedules, it can also provide excellent income, valuable experience, and opportunities to build relationships with major industrial contractors.
The companies listed here represent some of the most active names in industrial construction, refinery maintenance, power outages, and turnaround services.
Openings can change by the hour, especially during peak outage season. Workers should monitor official company career pages, trusted job boards, union halls, recruiter announcements, and industry contacts regularly.
