Oil Tycoon! workers guide
Workers automate the four manual jobs in Oil Tycoon!. Once the line is built, they are the reason money keeps moving while you explore, mine or race.
The four workers
| Worker | Automates | Hire when |
|---|---|---|
| Well worker | Collects oil from the ground/pit | First hire — collection caps out manually |
| Drill worker | Runs the drilling input ($670 in a verified run) | As soon as the line can process it |
| Rig worker | Keeps the rig side running unattended | Mid game, once the rig is built |
| Farmer | Feeds the side routes (also hired at the catapult area) | After the main line is stable |
What each one looks like in play
- Well worker stands at the collection point and carries continuously. The game even comments on it — workers get told not to look sad, because the job never ends.
- Drill worker picks up crude, walks it to the machine and inserts it, on a loop. Watching one cycle confirms the route is correct before you leave it running.
- Rig worker unlocks with the rig hut and covers the rig-side production.
- Farmer is bought near the catapult and keeps the far side of the map fed.
Hire order
- Well worker — frees you immediately.
- Drill worker ($670) — the input side stops starving; biggest reliability jump in the game.
- Rig worker — when the rig is online.
- Farmer — when you start running side routes in earnest.
Workers and offline play
Workers are the mechanism behind offline production: they keep moving product while you are away. The catch is collection — barrels fill and stop, so long absences are capped by container size. See offline production.
The workers, one by one
| Worker | Role | Hire when |
|---|---|---|
| Well worker | Keeps extraction running on your stretch | The pit dries while you stand there |
| Drill worker ($670) | First real automation on the route | The upgrader is bought and the route is final |
| Rig / claim workers | Hold the wider plot | The route spans more ground than you can walk |
| Farmer-type support | Fills the side activities | The main line already runs unattended |
The exact price band matters less than the rule behind it: workers are bought for the stage that stops, not for the busiest stage.
Placement beats hiring
A worker on a badly laid route produces a badly running route, automatically, forever. The order that avoids wasting the $670:
- Fix the route — every stage feeds the next, no gaps.
- Prove it runs for ten minutes without you touching it.
- Identify which stage empties first when you walk away.
- Put the worker there.
What workers do offline
Workers are the reason offline production exists. With workers covering the stages that would otherwise starve, the line keeps selling while you are away; without them, production stops at the first empty stage and stays stopped. If you log in to a stalled line, the fix is almost always one more worker on the stage that drained first — not another conveyor.
FAQ
Which worker should I hire first in Oil Tycoon!?
The drill worker at $670 is the first real automation purchase. Hire workers only once the route is fixed, because workers cannot fix a badly laid line.
How many workers do I need?
Enough to cover the stages that stop when you walk away: one on extraction and one on the route keeps the main line moving while you explore.
