There’s plenty of work to be had in the shale patch, and nowhere is that more true than in Texas, which added more than 19,000 private-sector oil and gas extraction, drilling and support jobs in 2013 — six times as many as runner-up New Mexico, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA isn’t even counting the jobs at energy company corporate headquarters. Job growth in extraction, drilling and support activities has outpaced national average private-sector job gains in the last decade. “Overall, oil and natural gas production jobs in the United States increased from 292,846 annual jobs in 2003 to 476,356 in 2008, a 63% increase,” EIA said. “Following the net loss of 54,323 oil and natural gas production jobs during the 2008-2009 recession and relatively little national job growth, jobs in oil and natural gas production increased another 28% from 2009 to 2013, from 422,033 to 586,884. Additionally, average wages of oil and natural gas production jobs were $108,000 in 2013, more than twice the average wage for all private sector industries.” Along with Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and North Dakota have seen substantial job growth, thanks largely to their respective shale plays, EIA said.