### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Petroleum Engineers Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			petroleum engineers imagePetroleum engineers design equipment to extract oil and gas in the most profitable way.							
						Quick Facts:     Petroleum Engineers2023     Median Pay
            						$135,690     per year
										$65.23     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    NoneOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    21,400Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    2% (As fast as average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    500What Petroleum Engineers Do
                                                
                        
                        
Petroleum engineers devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Petroleum engineers generally work in offices or at drilling and well sites. Travel may be required to visit these sites or to meet with other engineers, oilfield workers, and customers.
            
                                                How to Become a Petroleum Engineer
                                                
                        
Petroleum engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field, such as mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering. Employers also value practical experience, which students sometimes gain through internships.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for petroleum engineers was $135,690 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of petroleum engineers is projected to grow							 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
						About 1,200 openings for petroleum engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for petroleum engineers.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of petroleum engineers with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about petroleum engineers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Petroleum Engineers Do 
            

			Petroleum engineersPetroleum engineers devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production.			
Petroleum engineers devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production. They also oversee drilling and offer technical advice.
Duties
Petroleum engineers typically do the following:
Design facilities to extract and produce oil and gas from reserves deep underground
Develop plans to drill in oil and gas fields, and then to recover the oil and gas
Analyze data to improve oil and gas production and reservoir recovery
Ensure that oilfield equipment is installed, operated, and maintained properlyPetroleum engineers work with geoscientists and other specialists to explore for oil and gas deposits, or reservoirs, in rock formations underground. After discovering reservoirs, petroleum engineers determine the best methods of extraction through wells on land or offshore rigs at sea. Their tasks may include designing the well, selecting drilling methods and equipment, and designing surface facilities.
Existing extraction techniques recover only a portion of the oil and gas in a reservoir, so petroleum engineers also research and develop new ways to recover more of the oil and gas. For example, workers may inject water, chemicals, or gases into an oil reserve to force out more oil or gas.
The following are examples of types of petroleum engineers:
***Completions engineers*** decide how to finish building wells so that oil or gas flows up from underground. They oversee work to complete the building of wells, such as using tubing or hydraulic fracturing.
***Drilling engineers*** design ways to construct oil or gas wells. They also ensure that the drilling process is safe, efficient, and minimally disruptive to the environment.
***Production engineers*** take over wells after drilling is completed. They typically monitor wells’ oil and gas production. If wells are not producing as much as expected, production engineers figure out ways to increase the amount being extracted.
***Reservoir engineers*** estimate how much oil or gas can be recovered from reservoirs. They also monitor operations to ensure optimal recovery of these resources.
Some petroleum engineers use their knowledge of underground geologic formations to specialize in areas outside of oil and gas. These specialties include carbon capture and storage, geothermal drilling and extraction, and subsurface hydrogen storage.
 Work Environment
			Petroleum engineersPetroleum engineers generally work in an office setting but must sometimes work onsite to monitor operations.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Petroleum engineers held about 21,400 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of petroleum engineers were as follows:
        Oil and gas extraction
                29%Support activities for mining
                16Management of companies and enterprises
                16Engineering services
                13Petroleum and coal products manufacturing
                7Petroleum engineers generally work in offices or at drilling and well sites. They may travel offshore, to remote areas, or to international locations, sometimes for long periods. Petroleum engineers often visit these sites to meet with other engineers, oilfield workers, and customers.
Work Schedules
Most petroleum engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Extended shifts may be necessary when traveling to and from drilling sites or when helping to troubleshoot operations.
 How to Become a Petroleum Engineer

			Petroleum engineersPetroleum engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field.			
Petroleum engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field, such as mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering. Employers also value practical experience, which students sometimes gain through internships.
Education
College students typically pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering. High school students interested in studying petroleum engineering may benefit from taking classes in math, such as algebra, geometry, and calculus; and science, such as biology, chemistry, and physics.
Bachelor’s degree engineering programs usually include academic, laboratory, and field work in subjects such as engineering principles, geology, and thermodynamics. College students may have an opportunity to participate in cooperative education programs or internships. Through partnerships with local businesses, these programs allow students to gain practical experience while they complete their education.
Some colleges and universities offer a 5-year engineering program that leads to both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master's degree.
Employers may prefer to hire candidates who graduated from an engineering program accredited by a professional association such as ABET.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Licensure is not required for entry-level petroleum engineer positions. Experienced engineers may obtain a Professional Engineer (PE) license, which allows them to oversee the work of other engineers, sign off on projects, and provide services directly to the public.
State licensure typically requires a bachelor’s or higher degree in engineering, a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, several years of relevant work experience, and a passing score on the PE exam.
Each state issues its own license. Most states recognize licensure from other states, as long as the licensing state’s requirements meet or exceed their own licensure requirements. Several states require continuing education for engineers to keep their licenses.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers offers optional certification. To be certified, petroleum engineers must be members of the Society, pass an exam, and meet other qualifications.
Advancement
Petroleum engineers may advance to supervise a team of engineers and technicians, becoming engineering managers. For more information, see the profile on architectural and engineering managers.
Important Qualities
***Analytical skills.*** Petroleum engineers must be able to evaluate data to monitor and improve production.
***Communication skills.*** Petroleum engineers must be able to explain and present complex, technical information to a variety of audiences, including nontechnical ones.
***Interpersonal skills.*** Petroleum engineers must be able to interact with other types of engineers and with nontechnical oil and gas workers.
***Math skills.*** Petroleum engineers use calculus and other math in their analysis, design, and troubleshooting work.
***Problem-solving skills.*** Petroleum engineers must be able to troubleshoot issues that arise and address them as safely and efficiently as possible.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Petroleum EngineersMedian annual wages, May 2023Petroleum engineers$135,690  Engineers$102,660  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for petroleum engineers was $135,690 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $77,340, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $225,920.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for petroleum engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Management of companies and enterprises
                $168,190Oil and gas extraction
                158,720Petroleum and coal products manufacturing
                157,590Engineering services
                132,070Support activities for mining
                102,250Most petroleum engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Extended shifts may be necessary when traveling to and from drilling sites or when helping to troubleshoot operations.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                Petroleum EngineersPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Engineers7%  Total, all occupations3%  Petroleum engineers2%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of petroleum engineers is projected to grow				 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
			
			About 1,200 openings for petroleum engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
The need for petroleum engineers to help facilitate oil and gas extraction at existing operations is expected to create some demand for these workers. However, increased use of renewable energy and weaker investments in fossil fuel production may limit job growth over the projections decade.
			

                        Employment projections data for     petroleum engineers, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Petroleum engineers**
			17-2171
			21,400
			21,900
			2
			500
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Petroleum engineers **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of petroleum engineers. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Architectural and Engineering Managers**
            Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering.
            Bachelor's degree
            $165,370**Geoscientists**
            Geoscientists study the physical aspects of the Earth.
            Bachelor's degree
            $92,580**Industrial Engineers**
            Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,380**Mechanical Engineers**
            Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,510**Civil Engineers**
            Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects.
            Bachelor's degree
            $95,890**Chemical Engineers**
            Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry, physics, and engineering to design equipment and processes for manufacturing products such as gasoline, detergents, and paper.
            Bachelor's degree
            $112,100**Mining and Geological Engineers**
            Mining and geological engineers design mines to safely and efficiently remove minerals for use in manufacturing and utilities.
            Bachelor's degree
            $100,640**Geological and Hydrologic Technicians**
            Geological and hydrologic technicians support scientists and engineers in exploring, extracting, and monitoring natural resources.
            Associate's degree
            $53,440
 Contacts for More Information
								
For information about general engineering education and career resources, visit
American Society for Engineering Education
Technology Student Association
For information about the Professional Engineer license, visit
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
National Society of Professional Engineers
For information about accredited engineering programs, visit
ABET
For information about certification, visit
Society of Petroleum Engineers

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Petroleum Engineers
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Petroleum Engineers, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/petroleum-engineers.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Tuesday, May 14, 2024


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