Petroleum engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $81,440 | $39.16 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $144,910 | $69.67 |
| Mean (average) | $157,150 | $75.55 |
| 90th percentile | $253,200 | $121.73 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Petroleum engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 22 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Data unavailable | 50 | 0.2 | ||
| Alaska | $206,290 | $129,150 | $277,360 | 280 | 7.53 |
| California | $143,590 | $61,780 | $207,370 | 1,060 | 0.5 |
| Colorado | $172,190 | $92,590 | $264,960 | 1,390 | 4.16 |
| Florida | Data unavailable | 40 | 0.04 | ||
| Kansas | $115,640 | $65,510 | $195,300 | 110 | 0.67 |
| Louisiana | $139,640 | $43,440 | $221,800 | 710 | 3.17 |
| Michigan | Data unavailable | 580 | 1.14 | ||
| Minnesota | Data unavailable | 40 | 0.12 | ||
| Montana | $104,060 | $77,450 | $155,590 | ||
| Nebraska | $100,800 | $80,880 | $165,490 | 150 | 1.22 |
| New Mexico | $99,900 | $76,140 | $151,750 | 260 | 2.59 |
| North Dakota | $132,120 | $82,530 | $170,040 | 130 | 2.58 |
| Ohio | $99,260 | $79,010 | $139,440 | 200 | 0.3 |
| Oklahoma | $153,020 | $86,990 | $221,320 | 1,450 | 7.29 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,880 | $77,220 | $175,130 | 600 | 0.85 |
| Tennessee | Data unavailable | 70 | 0.18 | ||
| Texas | $164,860 | $89,990 | $283,500 | 9,140 | 5.6 |
| Utah | $172,840 | $101,490 | $212,590 | 280 | 1.4 |
| Washington | $134,800 | $107,690 | $184,360 | 190 | 0.45 |
| West Virginia | $93,360 | $79,860 | $220,130 | 380 | 4.68 |
| Wyoming | Data unavailable | 280 | 8.74 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for petroleum engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for petroleum engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering CIP 14.0802
- Petroleum Engineering CIP 14.2501
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
- Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
- Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
- Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
- Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
- Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
- Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
- Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- C# (hot technology)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visual Studio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle Database (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Common job titles: Completion Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Engineer, Operations Engineer, Petroleum Engineer, Petroleum Production Engineer, Project Production Engineer, Project Reservoir Engineer, Reservoir Engineer, Reservoir Engineering Consultant.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do petroleum engineers make?
The national median annual wage for petroleum engineers was $144,910 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $81,440 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $253,200. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do petroleum engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is petroleum engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of petroleum engineers to change +2.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay petroleum engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($206,290), Utah ($172,840), Colorado ($172,190). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.