Petroleum Engineers
Also called: Certification Engineer, Completion Engineer, Completions Engineer, Design Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Engineer, Exploration Engineer, Gas Distribution Engineer
Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs.
What petroleum engineers do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
- 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.
- Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Petroleum Engineers salary
The median annual wage for petroleum engineers is $144,910 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $81,440 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $253,200. The mean annual wage is $157,150.
The mean hourly wage of $75.00 is 10.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Petroleum Engineers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $144,910 → in 3 years $155,400 → in 5 years $162,800 → in 10 years $183,000 (10-year range $157,400–$212,400). The model assumes pay growth of +2.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Petroleum Engineers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Petroleum Engineers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Petroleum Engineers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Petroleum Engineers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become petroleum engineers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as petroleum engineers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.