occupation · 17-2171 · detailed
Petroleum Engineers — wages and employment
Petroleum Engineers earned a median annual wage of $141,280 in the United States in May 2024, with 18,970 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Petroleum Engineers earned a median annual wage of $141,280 in the United States in May 2024, with 18,970 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $78,840 or less, the best-paid tenth $228,790 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $135,690 to $141,280, +4.1 %. The best-paying state is Alaska at $200,750; the lowest Montana at $84,380. Among metropolitan areas, Anchorage, AK pays the highest median, $205,380. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 18,970 | $141,280 | $153,560 | $78,840 | $107,330 | $191,100 | $228,790 | $67.92 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 20,390 | $135,690 | $148,590 | $77,340 | $104,020 | $176,990 | $225,920 | $65.23 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $200,750 | 310 |
| Colorado | $167,540 | 1,140 |
| Utah | $166,580 | 380 |
| Tennessee | $164,240 | 50 |
| Texas | $153,200 | 10,640 |
| Wyoming | $152,770 | 320 |
| California | $147,780 | 1,190 |
| Oklahoma | $142,470 | 1,290 |
| New Jersey | $140,800 | 30 |
| Louisiana | $134,630 | 920 |
| Michigan | $131,250 | 80 |
| North Dakota | $130,090 | 190 |
| Washington | $129,660 | 170 |
| Minnesota | $128,580 | 60 |
| Kansas | $118,020 | 160 |
| New Mexico | $118,010 | 390 |
| Ohio | $108,070 | 170 |
| Nebraska | $107,250 | 70 |
| West Virginia | $102,900 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $102,110 | 30 |
| New York | $95,210 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $92,930 | 470 |
| Montana | $84,380 | 200 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | $205,380 | 220 |
| Amarillo, TX | $199,990 | 50 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $184,250 | 260 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $174,410 | 150 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $173,400 | 680 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $168,740 | 790 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $167,090 | 160 |
| Midland, TX | $165,880 | 1,180 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $163,310 | 60 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $161,320 | 300 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $160,890 | 60 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $159,990 | 5,080 |
| Ogden, UT | $156,050 | 50 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $154,490 | 1,100 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $153,830 | 70 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $151,240 | 50 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $143,400 | 360 |
| Lubbock, TX | $143,120 | 160 |
| Casper, WY | $141,000 | 60 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $139,940 | 280 |
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