How much does a petroleum engineer make?
Typical yearly pay for petroleum engineers in the United States.
median pay per year, about $12,076 a month or $69.67 an hour.
That's more than 93% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #8 of 100.
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| Lawyer | $159,670 |
| Judge | $153,990 |
| Air traffic controller | $148,080 |
| Petroleum engineer | $144,910 |
| Pharmacist | $140,910 |
| Optometrist | $136,570 |
| Software developer | $135,980 |
Similar jobs
- Software developer$135,980
- Cybersecurity analyst$129,180
- IT manager$175,140
- Civil engineer$100,840
How much does a petroleum engineer make per hour?
About $69.67 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming a petroleum engineer
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
How to become a petroleum engineer
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Petroleum Engineers” (code 17-2171.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.