Petroleum Engineers
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.
Also called: Completion Engineer · Drilling Engineer · Engineer · Operations Engineer · Petroleum Engineer · Petroleum Production Engineer
Median pay (national)
$141,280
$78,840–$228,790 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
18,970
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+1.3%
~1,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for petroleum engineers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $228,790 versus $78,840 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $141,280 leaves roughly 62% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +1.3% from 2024 to 2034 — slower than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 23 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $200,750, +42% vs the national median), while Montana sits lowest at $84,380 — a 138% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Science
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
- Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
- Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- C#
- C++
- Eclipse IDE
- Google Analytics
- Linux
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft Visual Studio
- Oracle Database
- Oracle Java
- Python
- R
- SAP software
Knowledge areas
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting
- Administrative