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Petroleum Engineers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $144,910 Median per year · $69.67/hr Most earn $81,440–$253,200

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Inspect oil and gas wells to determine that installations are completed.
  • Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
  • Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
  • Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
  • Conduct engineering research experiments to improve or modify mining and oil machinery and operations.
  • Simulate reservoir performance for different recovery techniques, using computer models.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Oil and gas extraction33.0%
  • Support activities for mining17.7%
  • Engineering services9.0%
  • Management of companies and enterprises8.4%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services7.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Petroleum engineering is not usually an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then spend roughly 4 to 6 years in related engineering work before they take on this role. Pay varies by location and experience, so check the career page for typical pay near you and nationally.

  1. Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering (or a related engineering field)

    4 years

    You learn how oil and gas reservoirs work, how wells are drilled, and the math and physics behind production. Engineering programs often include labs and summer internships, which help you get your first job.

  2. Associate Petroleum Engineer

    2-4 years

    You work under senior engineers on well planning, production data, and drilling operations, and you learn to make design decisions on your own. Many people also move through related roles like drilling or reservoir engineering during this stage.

  3. Petroleum Engineer

    4-6 years of total experience

    You devise methods to improve extraction and production, decide when new or modified tools are needed, and offer technical advice on drilling operations.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Petroleum Engineer

    5-8 years of experience first

    You lead larger projects or fields, mentor junior engineers, and are the go-to expert on complex well and reservoir problems.

  2. Petroleum Engineering Manager

    8-10 years of experience first

    You manage a team of engineers, set priorities and budgets, and make bigger decisions about which wells or fields to develop. It takes strong leadership and communication skills on top of technical know-how.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take advanced math and scienceCalculus, physics, and chemistry are the foundation for an engineering degree and for the work you would do in petroleum engineering.
  • Join a robotics, science, or engineering clubBuilding and testing projects teaches you to troubleshoot, work in a team, and think like an engineer.
  • Enter a science fair or engineering competitionPresenting a project shows you can explain technical work clearly, a skill that matters a lot in engineering careers.
  • Look for a summer job or volunteer position in a technical fieldAny job that involves equipment, safety procedures, or problem-solving helps you practice working in a professional setting.
  • Learn basic spreadsheet and data skillsUsing spreadsheets to track and graph information builds the habits engineers use every day to analyze production data.

In college

  • Major in Petroleum Engineering or a related engineering fieldA degree in petroleum or a closely related engineering field is the usual starting point for this career.
  • Get an internship or co-op with an energy companyField and office experience with oil and gas operations helps you find your first job and shows employers you are ready to work on real projects.
  • Join a student chapter of a professional engineering societyStudent groups for petroleum or energy engineers offer networking, mentors, and chances to take part in technical events.
  • Take a programming or data analysis courseSoftware tools for modeling reservoirs and analyzing production data are a regular part of petroleum engineering work.
  • Work on a design or competition teamTeams that build vehicles, drilling models, or other projects give you hands-on experience with teamwork, budgets, and deadlines.

Tips for getting started

  • Aim for summer internships or co-op jobs with oil and gas companies or drilling service firms. Hands-on field experience is one of the best ways to stand out when you apply for your first job.
  • Get strong in math, physics, and chemistry, and take computer science or data analysis classes. Modern petroleum engineers use software to model reservoirs and analyze production data.
  • Join your school's engineering or STEM clubs and learn to communicate clearly. You will need to explain technical ideas to people who are not engineers.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Civil Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $72,633 a year · typical debt $21,594
  • Petroleum Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $89,188 a year · typical debt $21,452

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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