Petroleum Engineers are generally responsible for collecting and interpreting geological data, designing drilling operations, carrying out certain drilling tests and experiments, determining the amount of recoverable oil in a field and overseeing the building of pipelines.
The starting average salary for a Petroleum Engineer is $129,950; however, it can range according to experience and the industry. This is an excellent entry-level career opportunity as well as a stepping stone for those who want to go further in their education by pursuing a Master’s Degree and PhD.
Starting Salary For Petroleum Engineer Overview
Petroleum engineers are in high demand, especially in the United States. The average salary for a petroleum engineer is $104,000 per year. However, this figure varies by state and by industry.
The average salary for a petroleum engineer in the United States is $104,000 per year. The median salary for this career is $95,000 per year. The lowest 10% of petroleum engineers earn less than $67,000 per year and have an average annual salary of $84,000 per year. The highest 10% of petroleum engineers earn more than $165,000 per year with an average annual salary of about $160,000 per year.
As one might expect with such high salaries and low unemployment rates, there are many different ways to break down the data on petroleum engineering salaries by state. For example: in Washington state (not surprisingly), the highest paying employers are Boeing ($130K/year), Amazon ($125K/year), Microsoft ($115K/year). In Alaska (surprisingly!) Chevron states that it pays its engineers salaries ranging from $175K – $300K/year; while ExxonMobil says it pays between $75K – $100
What Is A Petroleum Engineer?
The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in petroleum engineer roles:
- Design the equipment that’s used to extract oil and gas from land and offshore reservoirs
- Form plans for gas and oil extraction, dictating what equipment to use and planning the collection points
- Monitor oil and gas collection over the lifetime of the process to determine when reservoirs are producing less than expected, and when they’ve been emptied
- Design new equipment that can be used to recover leftover amounts of oil and gas that are unable to be collected with existing systems and equipment
- Oversee collection to watch for equipment malfunctions and safety issues
Basic responsibilities of Petroleum Engineers
On many occasions, oil reservoirs are found in between rocks, deep down the earth surface. So, as soon as oil or gas is discovered in an area, be it land or sea, a Petroleum engineer will have to work with a geoscientist to understand the structure of the rocks that surround the reservoir and figure out the best method and equipment to use in extracting the oil from the region.
In essence, as a Petroleum Engineer you will:
- Build tools that can be used to dig out oil and gas from deep underground layers.
- Develop strategies on how to drill gas fields in order to get maximum results.
- Create plans on how to generate more oil or gas from reserves (areas that have already been dug).
- Install and maintain oilfield equipment.
- Conduct surveys and tests on oilfields
Qualities and skills of Petroleum Engineers
Creativity: every site to be explored will pose new challenges, you’ll need to have the ability to come up with new creative ways to drill oils.
Mathematical skills: A lot of calculations go into the process of designing drilling solutions
Analytical skills: Since you have to deal with huge volumes of data from scientists that you work with from time to time, you’ll have to analyze the data and put them into practice. be costly. Petroleum engineers m
Problem-solving skills: Problems arise before, during, and even after drilling. Therefore a petroleum engineer has to be ready to troubleshoot problems as soon as they arise.
How To Become A Petroleum Engineer
At a minimum, petroleum engineers must have a bachelor’s degree from a program that’s accredited by ABET. Ideally, aspiring petroleum engineers will hold bachelor’s degrees specifically in petroleum engineering, but it’s possible to find work in the field with a degree in mechanical or chemical engineering. With a bachelor’s degree, you should be able to find entry-level work as a petroleum engineer, though taking internships in petroleum engineering during college will improve your chances of finding work after graduation.
For higher-level roles in petroleum engineering, a master’s degree may be required. For this reason, some aspiring petroleum engineers enroll in special 5-year programs that allow for earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the same time. These programs are great because they shave a year off of the required education for earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree separately, and they allow petroleum engineers to qualify for promotions and more senior-level positions after earning experience in the field without having to go back to school for additional education.
While state licensing is not required for petroleum engineers in many cases, it can help make you more competitive for higher-paying open roles, and it can help if you want to move into a different type of engineering later in your career. To become licensed as a professional engineer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited institution, you’ll need at least four years of professional experience as an engineer, and you’ll need to pass two written exams: fundamentals of engineering and professional engineering. You may also choose to pursue a certification from the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Petroleum Engineer Salary Data
We’ve provided you the following to learn more about this career. The salary and growth data on this page comes from recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data while the recommendations and editorial content are based on our research.
National Anual Salary
Low Range; $99,390
Average; $149,590
High Range
—
National Hourly Wage
Low Range; $48/Hr
Average; $72/Hr
High Range
—
How do Petroleum Engineer salaries stack up to other jobs across the country? Based on the latest jobs data nationwide, Petroleum Engineer’s can make an average annual salary of $149,590, or $72 per hour. On the lower end, they can make $99,390 or $48 per hour, perhaps when just starting out or based on the state you live in.
