The average salary for a petroleum engineer in the United States is $148,590, but the range typically falls between $104,020 and $176,990. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $71.44, with a range between $50.01 and $85.09.
There are approximately 20,390 people employed as a petroleum engineer in the United States. With Texas, California, Oklahoma employing the highest number of petroleum engineers.The state with the best pay for a petroleum engineer is New Jersey, with an average annual salary of $206,490, while Pennsylvania has the lowest average annual salary of $102,960.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $77,340 | $37.18 |
| 25th Percentile | $104,020 | $50.01 |
| Median | $135,690 | $65.23 |
| 75th Percentile | $176,990 | $85.09 |
| 90th Percentile | $225,920 | $108.62 |
The salary of a petroleum engineer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a petroleum engineer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for petroleum engineers are New Jersey, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, Texas while the worst states are Pennsylvania, Arkansas, West Virginia, Nebraska, Montana.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $64,490 | $145,140 | $230,730 |
| Arizona | $105,920 | $135,820 | $147,110 |
| Arkansas | $79,300 | $102,740 | $139,600 |
| California | $74,300 | $139,840 | $225,920 |
| Colorado | $82,190 | $162,190 | $224,750 |
| Florida | $79,710 | $139,200 | $174,870 |
| Illinois | $52,020 | $140,580 | $227,700 |
| Kansas | $66,810 | $151,020 | >$239,200 |
| Louisiana | $102,380 | $155,890 | $232,160 |
| Michigan | $78,040 | $119,090 | $174,530 |
| Minnesota | $95,850 | $165,640 | >$239,200 |
| Montana | $61,160 | $104,880 | $172,480 |
| Nebraska | $80,140 | $94,780 | $101,420 |
| New Jersey | $134,020 | $206,490 | >$239,200 |
| New Mexico | $81,040 | $130,850 | >$239,200 |
| North Dakota | $85,170 | $126,390 | $160,500 |
| Ohio | $66,390 | $104,280 | $145,910 |
| Oklahoma | $87,090 | $148,310 | $218,140 |
| Oregon | $112,790 | $124,750 | $153,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,130 | $102,960 | $148,920 |
| Texas | $76,150 | $155,290 | $236,650 |
| Utah | $81,020 | $118,140 | $169,350 |
| Virginia | $82,840 | $116,790 | $162,740 |
| Washington | $101,410 | $143,430 | $200,310 |
| West Virginia | $63,020 | $105,810 | $160,700 |
| Wyoming | $90,490 | $131,270 | $179,700 |
Even between cities, the salary of a petroleum engineer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for petroleum engineers is Baton Rouge, LA with an average salary of $179,490.The city with the lowest average salary for petroleum engineers is East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area area, MT with an average salary of $77,680.
Areas with highest average salaries for petroleum engineers
Areas with lowest average salaries for petroleum engineers
The number of petroleum engineers in the United States has been decreasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of petroleum engineers has decreased by -7,460. On average, the number of petroleum engineers has been increasing by -6.7% each year. The salary of petroleum engineers has been decreasing. Since 2020, the salary of petroleum engineers has decreased by $-5,740. On average, the salary of petroleum engineers has been increasing by -0.9% each year.
Petroleum Engineers are part of the architecture and engineering occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for petroleum engineers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all architecture and engineering occupations jobs here.
$117,680 per year
$75,290 per year
$103,150 per year
$105,840 per year
$147,770 per year
$106,700 per year
