Petroleum Engineering

Types of Degrees Petroleum Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many petroleum engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	264
Doctor’s Degree	130
Graduate Certificate	7

What Petroleum Engineering Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, petroleum engineering majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Petroleum Engineering Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Petroleum Engineering Majors

A major in petroleum engineering prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Petroleum Engineering Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a petroleum engineering student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Petroleum Engineering Major?

People with a petroleum engineering degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Engineering Professors	14.7%	$101,720
Petroleum Engineers	15.1%	$137,170

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 76% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of petroleum engineering majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	17
Black or African American	5
Hispanic or Latino	9
White	50
International Students	170
Other Races/Ethnicities	13

Geographic Diversity

Petroleum Engineering appeals to people across the globe. About 64.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Saudi Arabia
• India
• Canada
• Kuwait

How Much Do Petroleum Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in petroleum engineering was $156,753 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $156,753 (25th percentile) and $156,753 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to petroleum engineering so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Petroleum Engineering majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $113,680 to $156,370 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Petroleum Engineering

Some careers associated with petroleum engineering require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for petroleum engineering careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	60.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	5.4%
Master’s Degree	17.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	3.0%
Doctoral Degree	10.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.0%

Online Petroleum Engineering Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 31 schools offered some type of petroleum engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	6	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	24	2
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	17	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Petroleum Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a petroleum engineering grad is $148,970 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 273% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $2,181,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Petroleum Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to petroleum engineering.

Major	Number of Grads
Electrical Engineering	11,021
Mechanical Engineering	9,007
Civil Engineering	6,042
Computer Engineering	5,557
Biomedical Engineering	4,252
General Engineering	3,548
Systems Engineering	3,068
Industrial Engineering	3,028
Chemical Engineering	2,662
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering	2,375
Other Engineering	1,820
Materials Engineering	1,810
Operations Research	1,191
Electrical and Computer Engineering.	928
Environmental Engineering	919
Robotics Engineering	560
Engineering Science	451
Nuclear Engineering	437
Manufacturing Engineering	423
Agricultural Engineering	332
Construction Engineering	288
Engineering Physics	286
Architectural Engineering	243
Geoscience Engineering	173
Polymer & Plastics Engineering	167
Engineering Mechanics	144
Mining Engineering	132
Ocean Engineering	112
Textile Engineering	96
Biological Engineering	80
Energy Systems Engineering	79
Marine Engineering	44
Metallurgical Engineering	40
Biochemical Engineering	21
Ceramic Engineering	20
Electromechanical Engineering	16
Surveying Engineering	11
Paper Science & Engineering	7
Forest Engineering	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.