Petroleum Engineers
Petroleum Engineers earn an average annual salary of $150,841, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Petroleum Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,190 Workforce in 2023
The Petroleum Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Petroleum Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$150,841 Average Wage
In 2023, Petroleum Engineers earned an average of $150,841.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Petroleum Engineers.
Salary distribution for Petroleum Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,546 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 8.2%
4,920 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 17.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Petroleum Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Petroleum Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Petroleum Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Petroleum Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 25.2% growth (Current: $161,267)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Petroleum Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Petroleum Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 910 employees, $146,664 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Petroleum Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 280 employees, $136,512 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 280 employees, $155,248 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 220 employees, $146,658 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 60 employees, $161,267 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 50 employees, $149,208 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 20 employees, $118,511 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Petroleum Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Petroleum Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Petroleum Engineers in 2023 was 1,190 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Petroleum Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Petroleum Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Petroleum Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Petroleum Engineers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Petroleum Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Petroleum Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Petroleum Engineers.
Skills
Petroleum Engineers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, Systems Evaluation.
Required skills for Petroleum Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Petroleum Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Petroleum Engineers include Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Computers and Electronics, Chemistry.
Knowledge areas required for Petroleum Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Petroleum Engineers include Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Petroleum Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Petroleum Engineers.
Daily Activities
Petroleum Engineers spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Petroleum Engineers.
About
Petroleum Engineers
The average yearly wage for Petroleum Engineers was $150,841 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2171 - Petroleum Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Petroleum Engineers reports an average salary of $150,841, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,190 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.