Petroleum Engineers pay in the U.S.
$157,150avg. a year
$75.55 an hour · 18,060 employed
Petroleum Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $157,150 a year and a median of $144,910. Pay is highest in Alaska ($199,700) and lowest in New Mexico ($110,040).
$144,910Median pay
$75.55Average hourly
+2%Avg. pay since 2020
18,060Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for petroleum engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1280 jobs
Alaska
$199,700
$96.01 an hour
29,140 jobs
Texas
$171,580
$82.49 an hour
31,390 jobs
Colorado
$170,270
$81.86 an hour
4280 jobs
Utah
$169,810
$81.64 an hour
51,450 jobs
Oklahoma
$155,900
$74.95 an hour
6190 jobs
Washington
$149,490
$71.87 an hour
71,060 jobs
California
$147,940
$71.13 an hour
8710 jobs
Louisiana
$138,270
$66.48 an hour
9130 jobs
North Dakota
$130,910
$62.94 an hour
10110 jobs
Kansas
$128,430
$61.74 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Petroleum Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $121k$121k–$138k$138k–$170k$170k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $203,250 | $97.71 |
| Midland, TX | $184,150 | $88.53 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $179,920 | $86.50 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $178,520 | $85.83 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $177,780 | $85.47 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $177,150 | $85.17 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $170,520 | $81.98 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $162,190 | $77.98 |
Related jobs
- Civil Engineers$108,670
- Industrial Engineers$109,900
- Mechanical Engineers$113,610
- Electrical Engineers$125,100
- Engineers, All Other$125,330
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$137,280
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Petroleum Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $199,700 | $206,290 | 280 |
| California | $147,940 | $143,590 | 1,060 |
| Colorado | $170,270 | $172,190 | 1,390 |
| Kansas | $128,430 | $115,640 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $138,270 | $139,640 | 710 |
| Montana | $111,330 | $104,060 | – |
| Nebraska | $120,870 | $100,800 | 150 |
| New Mexico | $110,040 | $99,900 | 260 |
| North Dakota | $130,910 | $132,120 | 130 |
| Ohio | $111,350 | $99,260 | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $155,900 | $153,020 | 1,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $120,180 | $101,880 | 600 |
| Texas | $171,580 | $164,860 | 9,140 |
| Utah | $169,810 | $172,840 | 280 |
| Washington | $149,490 | $134,800 | 190 |
| West Virginia | $122,770 | $93,360 | 380 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$177,780
4,770 jobsMidland, TX
$184,150
940 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$178,520
910 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$179,920
900 jobsOklahoma City, OK
$177,150
700 jobsTulsa, OK
$139,140
370 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$161,650
330 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$153,850
320 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do petroleum engineers make?
The average is $157,150 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $144,910 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $75.55, and the median is $69.67 an hour.
Which state pays petroleum engineers the most?
Alaska, with an average of $199,700 a year. The best-paying metro area is Anchorage, AK at $203,250.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $81,440 a year, and the top 10% earn over $253,200.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-2171. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.