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API Job Code Classification System Part 2 (1985): A Technical Overview
Understanding the Classification Framework for Job Codes in the Petroleum Industry
Introduction
The American Petroleum Institute (API) Job Code Classification System, Part 2 (1985), represents a structured method for categorising professional and technical job roles within the oil and gas industry. Originally published as a scanned document in 1985, this part complements Part 1 by focusing on higher-skill occupational categories such as engineering, geoscience, and technical management. This article offers a technical breakdown of the standard’s scope, classification criteria, implementation practices, and compliance considerations, providing a valuable reference for human resources and compensation specialists in the petroleum sector.
1. Scope and Application
API Job Code Classification System, Part 2 (1985) defines a uniform coding scheme for job positions that require advanced education, specialised technical knowledge, or supervisory authority within the petroleum industry. The standard is intended for use by API member companies, industry analysts, and compensation survey entities to ensure consistent reporting of job roles across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments.
The scope of Part 2 specifically covers:
- Professional engineering disciplines (e.g., petroleum, mechanical, chemical, electrical)
- Geoscience and environmental roles
- Technical specialist positions (e.g., drilling optimization, subsurface analysis)
- Supervisory and managerial job codes that involve technical oversight
Tip: Part 2 should be used together with Part 1 (which covers operational, trades, and administrative roles) to create a complete enterprise job code taxonomy.
The standard is historically significant as it established a common language for job comparisons across companies, facilitating industry-wide salary benchmarks and workforce analytics.
2. Technical Requirements and Classification Criteria
The classification system is built on a multi-dimensional framework that captures both the job’s nature and its level of complexity. The key classification dimensions include:
- Job Family — Broad occupational grouping (e.g., Drilling Engineering, Reservoir Geoscience)
- Skill Level — A five-tier scale from entry-level to expert/principal
- Supervisory Role — Indicates whether the position leads a team, manages a department, or is an individual contributor
- Functional Area — Exploration, Production, Refining, Transportation, etc.
Job Code Structure
Each job code consists of a two-letter prefix for the job family, followed by a three-digit number indicating skill level and supervisory category. For example:
| Code | Job Family | Skill Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE-201 | Drilling Engineering | Intermediate (Semi-Senior) | Entry-level drilling engineer with 2–5 years experience |
| RG-405 | Reservoir Geoscience | Senior (Expert) | Principal geoscientist leading multi-disciplinary studies |
| DE-502 | Drilling Engineering | Manager | Drilling engineering manager with supervisory authority |
| PS-304 | Petroleum Safety | Experienced (Established) | Safety specialist handling risk assessments and audits |
Warning: The 1985 edition uses a numeric skill-level scale that may differ from later revisions. When updating job codes to current versions, map carefully to avoid classification gaps.
The classification must consider not only the education and experience required but also the level of decision-making, budget responsibility, and technical problem-solving complexity.
3. Implementation Highlights
Successful adoption of the API Job Code Classification System Part 2 (1985) requires a structured process within a company:
- Job Analysis — Review detailed job descriptions for each targeted role and identify the primary job family and skill level.
- Committee Review — A cross-functional team (HR, technical managers, compensation analysts) validates code assignments for consistency.
- Benchmarking — Cross-reference codes with industry-wide survey templates provided by API to ensure comparability.
- Documentation — Record code assignments and update as roles evolve or new job families emerge.
Benefit: Uniform job coding enables accurate external benchmarking, streamlines compensation surveys, and supports workforce planning across the industry.
Part 2 also includes guidelines for handling positions that span multiple families or unique responsibilities through a “primary/secondary” code system.
4. Compliance and Usage Notes
While the 1985 edition is no longer the active version (it has been superseded by later releases, including the 1992 and 2005 revisions), many companies retain historical data coded according to this standard. Compliance considerations include:
- Maintaining a crosswalk between the 1985 codes and the current API classification schema for continuity in long-term analytics.
- Ensuring confidentiality when submitting job-level data to industry surveys — codes should be used without personal employee identifiers.
- Using the standard exclusively for statistical and compensation reporting purposes; it is not intended as a performance evaluation tool.
Caution: Misusing job classification codes for disciplinary or promotional decisions outside the intended statistical scope can lead to inadvertent role misalignment and regulatory inconsistencies.
Companies adopting the API Job Code Classification System should document their version and any local modifications to preserve audit trail consistency over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does API Job Code Classification System Part 2 (1985) differ from Part 1?
A: Part 1 focuses on operational, craft, and administrative positions (e.g., rig workers, mechanics, office staff), while Part 2 addresses professional technical and supervisory roles such as engineers, geoscientists, and technical managers. Together they form a complete taxonomy for the petroleum workforce.
A: Part 1 focuses on operational, craft, and administrative positions (e.g., rig workers, mechanics, office staff), while Part 2 addresses professional technical and supervisory roles such as engineers, geoscientists, and technical managers. Together they form a complete taxonomy for the petroleum workforce.
Q: Is the 1985 edition still valid for current use?
A: No, the API has released updated versions that reflect modern job families and industry changes. However, the 1985 edition remains useful for historical comparisons and companies with legacy data need to map old codes to current systems.
A: No, the API has released updated versions that reflect modern job families and industry changes. However, the 1985 edition remains useful for historical comparisons and companies with legacy data need to map old codes to current systems.
Q: Are the job codes used in API compensation surveys?
A: Yes, many participating companies submit anonymised job-level data using the API classification codes. Consistency with the chosen edition (including Part 2) is critical for accurate survey results and meaningful market comparisons.
A: Yes, many participating companies submit anonymised job-level data using the API classification codes. Consistency with the chosen edition (including Part 2) is critical for accurate survey results and meaningful market comparisons.
Article published March 2026. This material is provided for informational and educational purposes. For current API standards, refer to the official API publications.