The higher starting salary in oil and gas is to compensate you for the increased health risk you might suffer(eg: cancer, deformed childbirth ) ... Everyday you work on jurong island inhaling the polluted air dosed with hydrocarbon particles.. Especially if you're working in the process plants.. everyday you're exposed to work hazards such as risk of explosion and fire ... Tough life... Definitely have to pay a bit more to make people wake up at 6am to go into Jurong island to subject themselves to these things....

But hey.. People working comfortably in the CBD, shirt iron until straight straight, spray perfume until smell nice nice.. Earning the same if not more... so what's the point of subjecting yourself to the enviromental risks/possible health hazards of engineering??