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Petroleum Engineering

Instructional content is defined in code 14.2501.

Types of Degrees Petroleum Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Petroleum Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Bachelor’s Degree	489
Master’s Degree	183
Doctor’s Degree	82

What Petroleum Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Petroleum Engineering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Petroleum Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Petroleum Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Petroleum Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Petroleum Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Petroleum Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Petroleum Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Petroleum Engineering graduates include:

• Architectural Engineering Teacher
• Civil Engineering Teacher
• Electronics Teacher
• College Professor
• Surveying Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Teacher
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Industrial Engineering Professor
• Machine Design Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Engineering Instructor
• Engineering Fundamentals Instructor
• Radar Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Petroleum Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	34.0%
Bachelor’s degree	25.9%
Post-master’s certificate	13.5%
Master’s degree	11.1%
Post-doctoral training	10.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.1%
First professional degree	1.0%
Postsecondary certificate	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Petroleum Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 80.7% of Petroleum Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	146	19.3%
Men	609	80.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Petroleum Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	238	31.5%
Asian	26	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	116	15.4%
Black or African American	27	3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Two or More Races	25	3.3%
Race Unknown	11	1.5%
International Students	309	40.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Petroleum Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Petroleum Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$68,881
4 years	$97,016
5 years	$103,379

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $103,379 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Petroleum Engineering Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Petroleum Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	3	6
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Petroleum Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Petroleum Engineering graduates earn a median of $97,016 four years after completion — roughly 155% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering	197,615
Mechanical Engineering	42,939
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	26,760
Civil Engineering	20,005
Computer Engineering	19,986
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	13,914
Engineering, General	13,411
Chemical Engineering	10,939
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	9,596
Industrial Engineering	8,533
Systems Engineering	3,956
Engineering, Other	3,529

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.