Petroleum Engineers

Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.

What a Petroleum Engineers does

Petroleum engineers design and oversee the drilling, extraction, and refining of oil and natural gas from underground reserves. They optimize production methods, manage reservoirs, and improve recovery efficiency while addressing environmental concerns.

Education & path

The typical entry point is a bachelor's degree. About 4 years.

Estimated cost of that path: ~$40,000. Estimated payback: ~1 year. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.

Related careers

• Civil Engineers — $100,840/yr
• Transportation Engineers — $100,840/yr
• Water/Wastewater Engineers — $100,840/yr
• Manufacturing Engineers — $102,440/yr
• Validation Engineers — $102,440/yr