THE average worker in the North Sea oil and gas industry earned a salary of around £56,000 last year, about twice the going rate that applied to people in other businesses in the UK.

The results of a survey of oil and gas professionals by Hays and Oil and Gas Job Search underline the appeal of a career in the industry at a time when many people in the UK are struggling to maintain their living standards.

The recruitment operations found that local oil and gas workers in the UK earned an average of $87,100 in 2011, around £55,850 at current exchange rates.

By contrast, official figures show that the average salary across the UK was £26,244.

The results point to a glaring difference between the earning power of people in oil and gas and those employed in other industries.

With investment in the North Sea set to remain strong this year, this trend is likely to continue.

The headline numbers may understate the gap in earning power between the two groups.

Oil and gas workers received benefits ranging from bonuses to meal allowances that were worth an additional 16% of their annual salaries.

There were wide variations in the pay rates attaching to different jobs across the global industry.

Annual salaries ranged from around $28,000 for a graduate electrician to $260,000 for a director in production management.

Directors working on a contract basis in the North Sea earned around $1,400 a day.

Salaries in the UK North Sea were around 8% higher than the global average of $80,458.

The survey results will likely stoke increased interest in careers in the oil and gas amid challenging labour market conditions.

Hays said hiring returned to the UK North Sea in 2011 following a difficult recession.

Anecdotal reports suggested graduates were welcomed into the industry for the first time since the global downturn.

With global demand for oil and gas remaining buoyant, the authors predict the local job market will remain strong.

Duncan Freer, managing director of the Oil and Gas Job Search site said: "Greater activity is scheduled for 2012 and beyond following a difficult period during the recession.

"Despite some forecasts many oil companies are continuing to invest in the North Sea so it is a time to look forward with confidence."

But firms in the North Sea face stiff competition from overseas over salary levels.

Global average rates increased by 6% annually

Boom times in areas like Asia Pacific are fuelling big pay rises for staff in those areas.

The average salary of workers brought into Australia was $173,100 last year.