Hidden Tech Jobs in Oil & Gas: SCADA, OT, and the Skills Big Tech Laid Off Workers Already Have

Amazon laid off 30,000 people. Google. Meta. Microsoft. Meanwhile — one industry has an OCEAN of jobs that nobody from Big Tech is even applying for. And the skills to get hired? You already have them.   In this episode, I sit down with Michael Flores, Digital Transformation Executive at OpSite Energy, to expose the hidden tech job market inside Operational Technology (OT) — where SCADA engineers earn 20%+ MORE than their software engineering counterparts, and a mid-level Ignition professional clears $150K without a FAANG resume.   Oh — and the FBI showed up to his office. We'll get to that   💥 WHAT WE COVER: → What OT, SCADA, PLC, and DCS actually are (plain English) → Why the FBI called the largest national security meeting since 9/11 → The exact salary gap: Software Engineer vs. SCADA Engineer → How to break in using FREE tools (Ignition University — no cost to start) → The full learning path: Python → PLC → Ignition → $150K → Which industries are hiring RIGHT NOW (Tesla, Toyota, oil & gas, airports) → Why this career is recession-proof (survived COVID, will survive anything) → The "mercenary to missionary" mindset shift that accelerates your career → How AI is reshaping OT roles — and creating NEW opportunities 💰 SALARY BREAKDOWN (from the episode): • Software Engineer (3-5 yrs): $105K–$120K • SCADA Engineer (same experience): 20%+ higher • Ignition Professional (mid-level): $150K+   🎓 YOUR FREE ENTRY POINT: Ignition by Inductive Automation — used by 80%+ of Fortune 100 companies. Download it free → learn it free → deploy it free. Link: https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition/trial   🎙️ ABOUT MICHAEL FLORES: 15+ years in digital transformation across energy, midstream, and manufacturing. VP of Technology & Digital Strategy at OpSite Energy. In a single week he's served clients at Tesla, Toyota, John Deere, and Cummins. Co-host of the Energy Tech Podcast.   🔗 Connect with Michael: [📷/mikeafloresenergy] 🎙️ Energy Tech Podcast: [📷/@opsiteenergy] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.