Petroleum Engineer Salary


How Much Does a Petroleum Engineer Make?

On average, a Petroleum Engineer make $148,590 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $77,340, while the top-paid 10 percent made $225,920.

Annually National Average Salary: $148,590

$77K
$104K
$148K
$176K
$225K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Alaska$64,490$82,660$145,140$173,470$230,730
Arizona$105,920$127,260$135,820$143,520$147,110
Arkansas$79,300$79,340$102,740$101,170$139,600
California$74,300$81,110$139,840$180,170$225,920
Colorado$82,190$119,020$162,190$206,820$224,750
Florida$79,710$107,660$139,200$160,630$174,870
Illinois$52,020$92,000$140,580$169,920$227,700
Kansas$66,810$98,760$151,020$177,910$#
Louisiana$102,380$125,280$155,890$173,900$232,160
Michigan$78,040$93,520$119,090$129,080$174,530
Minnesota$95,850$116,790$165,640$201,400$#
Montana$61,160$70,210$104,880$133,860$172,480
Nebraska$80,140$87,570$94,780$101,330$101,420
New Jersey$134,020$151,420$206,490$231,930$#
New Mexico$81,040$85,330$130,850$146,350$#
New York- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -
North Dakota$85,170$103,270$126,390$145,830$160,500
Ohio$66,390$83,650$104,280$123,840$145,910
Oklahoma$87,090$107,890$148,310$170,000$218,140
Oregon$112,790$113,440$124,750$124,340$153,290
Pennsylvania$64,130$82,800$102,960$135,370$148,920
Texas$76,150$108,770$155,290$193,130$236,650
Utah$81,020$97,420$118,140$136,620$169,350
Virginia$82,840$92,980$116,790$145,600$162,740
Washington$101,410$118,860$143,430$167,660$200,310
West Virginia$63,020$77,000$105,810$134,530$160,700
Wyoming$90,490$114,390$131,270$154,900$179,700

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is New Jersey, where the average salary is $206,490.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

New Jersey - $206,490
Minnesota - $165,640
Colorado - $162,190
Louisiana - $155,890
Texas - $155,290

Petroleum Engineers: Salary Overview

Petroleum engineers design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from below the Earth’s surface.

Their job description typically includes designing equipment to extract oil and gas from underground reserves, developing drilling plans, and ways to inject water, chemical, gases, or steam into the oil reserve to force out more gas.

They also have to make sure that oilfield equipment is installed and maintained properly and evaluating the production of wells.

However, their job responsibilities vary depending on their specialty.

Completion engineers decide the best way to finish building wells so that oil and gas will flow from the underground.

Drilling engineers try to find the best way to drill oil or gas wells while production engineers take over wells after drilling is completed.

Reservoir engineers estimate the quantity of oil and gas that can be extracted from underground deposits.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for petroleum engineers was $137,720 in May 2019 which means that half of all workers in this profession made less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries vary based on a wide range of factors, including experience level, education, and the industry of employment.

The top 10 percent earned more than $208,000 while the lowest 10 percent made less than $79,270 per year.

Petroleum Engineer Salary by Industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, petroleum engineers held approximately 33,500 jobs in the United States in 2018, most of them working in the field of oil and gas extraction, in the management of companies and enterprises field or for companies that provide support activities for mining.

The average annual salary reported by petroleum engineers in the oil and gas extraction field was $155,250 while those who worked in the industry of management of companies and enterprises reportedly earned $188,810 per year.

The mean annual wage was $139,550 for petroleum engineers who worked in the field of support activities for mining and $147,990 per year for those who worked for companies in architectural, engineering, and related services.

Petroleum engineers who worked in the field of petroleum and coal products manufacturing reportedly earned $143,300 per year, on average.

According to the BLS report, the highest-paying industry for this occupation was the field of employment services, a sector where the average annual wage reported by petroleum engineers was $214,750.

However, this field hires only a few petroleum engineers so job openings may not occur very often.

Salaries also vary depending on other factors including the level of education and certification.

Petroleum engineers need at least a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field but those who also have a master’s degree in the field may have better employment and earnings prospects.

Earning a Professional Engineering license is another way of getting a pay raise.

This license can typically be earned after having at least 4 years of experience and passing two exams.

A PE license will qualify you for positions that require supervising other workers and will give you a higher degree of independence.

As a professional engineer, you will also be allowed to sign off on projects and to provide services directly to the public.

Experience is also an important factor in determining a petroleum engineer’s salary.

As an entry-level employee, you will typically work under the supervision of a more experienced engineer and your salary will most likely be closer to the minimum for this profession.

After earning a few years of experience you may advance to a supervisory position that comes with additional responsibilities and a higher salary.

Job Prospects

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for petroleum engineers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2018 to 2028 but employment growth is highly sensitive to fluctuations in oil prices.

Demand for petroleum engineers is expected to be especially high in the field of support activities for mining.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Petroleum Engineers. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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