The average salary for a petroleum engineer in the United States is around $144,910 per year.
Avg Salary
Petroleum engineers earn an average yearly salary of $144,910.
Wages typically start from $81,440 and go up to $253,200.
128% above national average Updated in 2025
Petroleum engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$121.73 per hour
$253,200 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$95.16 per hour
$197,920 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$69.67 per hour
$144,910 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$51.09 per hour
$106,270 per year
10th percentile
Starting level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$39.16 per hour
$81,440 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Petroleum engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $99,900 |
| Ohio | $99,260 |
| Alabama | $94,890 |
| West Virginia | $93,360 |
| Georgia | $91,080 |
| Arkansas | $84,820 |
| Michigan | $84,510 |
| Indiana | $78,350 |
| New Jersey | $208,440 |
| Alaska | $206,290 |
| Utah | $172,840 |
| Colorado | $172,190 |
| Texas | $164,860 |
| Oklahoma | $153,020 |
| California | $143,590 |
| Louisiana | $139,640 |
| Arizona | $139,250 |
| Washington | $134,800 |
| North Dakota | $132,120 |
| Florida | $130,410 |
| Illinois | $120,160 |
| Virginia | $119,800 |
| Hawaii | $118,200 |
| Kansas | $115,640 |
| Montana | $104,060 |
| Wyoming | $102,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,880 |
| Missouri | $101,830 |
| Nebraska | $100,800 |
How do petroleum engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Petroleum engineers earn 9% more than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make more than sales engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Petroleum engineer salary | $145K |
| Software engineer salary | $136K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $135K |
| Nuclear engineer salary | $134K |
| Sales engineer salary | $125K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)