Petroleum Engineers salary
Petroleum Engineers earn a median of $144,910 a year ($69.67/hr) in the U.S. – from $93,360 in West Virginia to $206,290 in Alaska. Enter your pay below to see how you compare.
Median pay, United States$69.67/hr · $144,910 a year
Pay range
90% earn more$81,440$39.16/hr
75% earn more$106,270$51.09/hr
half earn more, half less$144,910$69.67/hr
25% earn more$197,920$95.16/hr
top 10% earn more$253,200$121.73/hr
pulled up by top earners$157,150$75.55/hr
How does my pay compare?
Enter your pay to see where you stand among petroleum engineers. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Pay by state
States ranked by median annual wage for petroleum engineers. Tap a state for its minimum wage.
280 jobs · $99.18/hr$206,290
280 jobs · $83.10/hr$172,840
1,390 jobs · $82.78/hr$172,190
9,140 jobs · $79.26/hr$164,860
1,450 jobs · $73.57/hr$153,020
1,060 jobs · $69.03/hr$143,590
710 jobs · $67.13/hr$139,640
190 jobs · $64.81/hr$134,800
130 jobs · $63.52/hr$132,120
110 jobs · $55.60/hr$115,640
jobs n/a · $50.03/hr$104,060
600 jobs · $48.98/hr$101,880
150 jobs · $48.46/hr$100,800
260 jobs · $48.03/hr$99,900
200 jobs · $47.72/hr$99,260
380 jobs · $44.89/hr$93,360
No wage estimate published for: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Wyoming.
Related jobs
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC code 17-2171. Wages exclude the self-employed. All jobs · Minimum wage by state
Questions & answers
How much do petroleum engineers make?
The median wage for petroleum engineers in the U.S. was $69.67 an hour or $144,910 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $106,270 and $197,920 a year.
Which state pays petroleum engineers the most?
Alaska has the highest median wage for petroleum engineers: $206,290 a year. The lowest published median is in West Virginia at $93,360. Living costs also differ a lot between states.
How many petroleum engineers are there?
BLS estimates 18,060 petroleum engineers were employed in the U.S. in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
What is the difference between median and average pay?
The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average (mean) adds everyone up and divides, so a few very high earners pull it up. The median is usually the better guide to typical pay.
What does the 10th or 90th percentile mean?
The 10th percentile is the wage that only 10% of workers earn less than – often entry-level pay. The 90th percentile is the wage that only 10% earn more than – usually the most experienced or highest-paid workers.