Petroleum Engineers: Career Overview
Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.
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What Tasks Do Petroleum Engineers Do?
The core tasks performed by petroleum engineers span:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful petroleum engineers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Petroleum Engineers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Certification Engineer
- Completion Engineer
- Completions Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Drilling Engineer
- Engineer
- Exploration Engineer
- Gas Distribution Engineer
How Many Petroleum Engineers Are There?
The U.S. employs around 382,293 petroleum engineers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +13.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Petroleum Engineers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $137,336 |
| Hourly median | $66.03 |
| 10th percentile | $95,841 |
| 25th percentile | $116,588 |
| 75th percentile | $158,083 |
| 90th percentile | $178,831 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $200,750 |
| Colorado | $167,540 |
| Utah | $166,580 |
| Tennessee | $164,240 |
| Texas | $153,200 |
| Wyoming | $152,770 |
| California | $147,780 |
| Oklahoma | $142,470 |
| New Jersey | $140,800 |
| Louisiana | $134,630 |
| Michigan | $131,250 |
| North Dakota | $130,090 |
| Washington | $129,660 |
| Minnesota | $128,580 |
| Kansas | $118,020 |
| New Mexico | $118,010 |
| Ohio | $108,070 |
| Nebraska | $107,250 |
| West Virginia | $102,900 |
| Arkansas | $102,110 |
| New York | $95,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $92,930 |
| Montana | $84,380 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for petroleum engineers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | $156,891 | 11.0% | 3.93 |
| Far Western US | $155,768 | 9.0% | 1.87 |
| Southwest | $150,962 | 66.2% | 6.16 |
| Plains States | $122,547 | 2.6% | 1.84 |
| Southeast | $116,614 | 7.0% | 3.07 |
| Great Lakes | $115,487 | 1.3% | 0.21 |
| Middle Atlantic | $95,758 | 2.9% | 0.55 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $205,380 | 220 |
| Amarillo, TX | TX | $199,990 | 50 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $184,250 | 260 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | UT | $174,410 | 150 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $173,400 | 680 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $168,740 | 790 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | TX | $167,090 | 160 |
| Midland, TX | TX | $165,880 | 1,180 |
Industry Breakdown
Most petroleum engineers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 10,780 | $149,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,220 | $170,090 |
| Manufacturing | 1,780 | $159,940 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,720 | $118,400 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,250 | $127,930 |
| Utilities | 300 | $99,000 |
| Finance and Insurance | 120 | $167,050 |
| Wholesale Trade | 90 | $135,360 |
Below are examples of industries where petroleum engineers work:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of petroleum engineers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Typical petroleum engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Geothermal Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Chemical Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Civil Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Water/Wastewater Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Electrical Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Industrial Engineers (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring petroleum engineers often complete programs in:
Engineering
2 programs across 2 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2171.00 (Petroleum Engineers).
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