The average salary for a petroleum engineer in California is around $143,590 per year.
Avg Salary
Petroleum engineers earn an average yearly salary of $143,590.
Wages typically start from $61,780 and go up to $207,370.
82% above national average Updated in 2025
Petroleum engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$99.70 per hour
$207,370 per year
Senior-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$82.68 per hour
$171,980 per year
Mid-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$69.03 per hour
$143,590 per year
Junior-level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$60.82 per hour
$126,500 per year
Starting level petroleum engineer earnings begin at:
$29.70 per hour
$61,780 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 about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than software engineers but more than wind energy engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Software engineer salary | $174K |
| Nuclear engineer salary | $172K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $158K |
| Electrical engineer salary | $144K |
| Petroleum engineer salary | $144K |
| Sales engineer salary | $139K |
| Mining and geological engineer salary | $158K |
| Mechatronics engineer salary | $131K |
| Wind energy engineer salary | $131K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)