Petroleum Engineering degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in petroleum engineering earn a median $102,594 four years after finishing, across 19 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in petroleum engineering earn $104,947, $42,898 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers (23%).
Median across 19 colleges; middle half $97,527–$116,691.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $61,110–$156,407. 346 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Petroleum Engineering"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$69,309/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs petroleum engineering graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in petroleum engineering actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum, Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 23% | — | — | — | — |
| Other Engineers | 12% | — | — | — | — |
| Industrial Engineers, Including Health And Safety | 5% | $102,670 | +12.0% | — | — |
| Civil Engineers | 5% | $100,840 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Software Developers | 4% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Chemical Engineers | 3% | $125,040 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing | 3% | $76,460 | — | — | — |
| Construction Managers | 3% | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree | ECR |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Petroleum Engineering earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $114,686 (5) | $111,678 (180) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where petroleum engineering graduates earn the most
The highest graduate earnings among the 25 colleges we cover that offer this major. Pick your state in the table above, or open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of TulsaOK | $145,353 | $27,000 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at AustinTX | $139,867 | $17,239 |
| 3 | Texas Tech UniversityTX | $139,864 | $26,090 |
| 4 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOK | $123,416 | $24,625 |
| 5 | Colorado School of MinesCO | $116,691 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College StationTX | $114,686 | $19,000 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State UniversityPA | $113,669 | $22,368 |
| 8 | Montana Technological UniversityMT | $106,076 | $27,000 |
| 9 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLA | $103,421 | $25,750 |
| 10 | University of Louisiana at LafayetteLA | $102,594 | $22,806 |
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMO | $102,405 | $28,950 |
| 12 | University of WyomingWY | $100,911 | $24,638 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Petroleum Engineering degree questions
How much do Petroleum Engineering graduates make?
Petroleum Engineering graduates earn a median $102,594 four years after finishing, across 19 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $97,527 to $116,691; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in petroleum engineering, the median is $104,947 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Petroleum Engineering degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in petroleum engineering earn a median $104,947: $42,898 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $69,309 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Petroleum Engineering graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in petroleum engineering, the most common jobs are petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers (23%), other engineers (12%), industrial engineers, including health and safety (5%).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
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Cite this: “Petroleum Engineering degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/petroleum-engineering.