Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2171 Petroleum Engineers

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
30,880 4.7 % $66.82 $138,980 2.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $33.58 $44.31 $58.79 $82.71 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $69,850 $92,170 $122,280 $172,040 (5)


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 15,720 9.67 $72.55 $150,890
Support Activities for Mining 4,450 1.39 $53.56 $111,400
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 2,300 2.08 $63.65 $132,400
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 2,230 0.17 $65.11 $135,420
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,770 0.09 $70.03 $145,660

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 15,720 9.67 $72.55 $150,890
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 2,300 2.08 $63.65 $132,400
Support Activities for Mining 4,450 1.39 $53.56 $111,400
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 240 0.88 $50.80 $105,670
Other Pipeline Transportation 60 0.87 $50.57 $105,190

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 15,720 9.67 $72.55 $150,890
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (8) (8) $70.72 $147,110
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,770 0.09 $70.03 $145,660
Basic Chemical Manufacturing 220 0.16 $68.30 $142,050
Scientific Research and Development Services 520 0.08 $66.12 $137,530


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 18,060 1.75 7.28 $70.71 $147,070
Oklahoma 3,090 2.06 8.55 $70.56 $146,770
Louisiana 2,440 1.33 5.51 $58.04 $120,720
Colorado 1,220 0.56 2.33 $59.88 $124,540
California 1,210 0.09 0.36 $58.48 $121,630




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oklahoma 3,090 2.06 8.55 $70.56 $146,770
Wyoming 560 2.05 8.53 $47.25 $98,280
Alaska 590 1.87 7.78 $71.85 $149,450
Texas 18,060 1.75 7.28 $70.71 $147,070
Louisiana 2,440 1.33 5.51 $58.04 $120,720




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 30 0.01 0.04 $106.49 $221,500
North Dakota (8) (8) (8) $85.05 $176,910
Alaska 590 1.87 7.78 $71.85 $149,450
Texas 18,060 1.75 7.28 $70.71 $147,070
Oklahoma 3,090 2.06 8.55 $70.56 $146,770





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 11,300 4.43 18.39 $70.00 $145,590
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,940 0.95 3.94 $78.13 $162,520
Oklahoma City, OK 1,660 2.94 12.20 $77.89 $162,010
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 1,110 2.18 9.06 $62.22 $129,410
Midland, TX 920 13.18 54.75 $63.39 $131,850
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 830 0.69 2.88 $61.93 $128,820
Tulsa, OK 790 1.93 8.00 $67.23 $139,830
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 640 0.75 3.13 $75.70 $157,460
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 490 0.62 2.58 $63.75 $132,590
Anchorage, AK 430 2.54 10.53 $75.02 $156,050




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Midland, TX 920 13.18 54.75 $63.39 $131,850
Casper, WY 240 6.25 25.97 $45.84 $95,340
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 11,300 4.43 18.39 $70.00 $145,590
Oklahoma City, OK 1,660 2.94 12.20 $77.89 $162,010
Lafayette, LA 400 2.78 11.54 $55.55 $115,550
Anchorage, AK 430 2.54 10.53 $75.02 $156,050
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 1,110 2.18 9.06 $62.22 $129,410
Tulsa, OK 790 1.93 8.00 $67.23 $139,830
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 240 1.56 6.48 $65.66 $136,570
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 390 1.52 6.33 $66.54 $138,400




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Billings, MT 50 0.62 2.56 $78.48 $163,230
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,940 0.95 3.94 $78.13 $162,520
Oklahoma City, OK 1,660 2.94 12.20 $77.89 $162,010
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 640 0.75 3.13 $75.70 $157,460
Anchorage, AK 430 2.54 10.53 $75.02 $156,050
College Station-Bryan, TX 60 0.70 2.92 $74.33 $154,600
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 40 0.13 0.54 $70.25 $146,120
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 11,300 4.43 18.39 $70.00 $145,590
Tulsa, OK 790 1.93 8.00 $67.23 $139,830
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 390 1.52 6.33 $66.54 $138,400

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far Western North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 250 5.25 21.81 $103.41 $215,100
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 200 3.27 13.59 $49.88 $103,750
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 190 1.44 5.96 $44.86 $93,310
Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area 170 1.40 5.82 $61.53 $127,980
Southeastern Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 120 0.75 3.13 $40.59 $84,430

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far Western North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 250 5.25 21.81 $103.41 $215,100
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 200 3.27 13.59 $49.88 $103,750
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 120 1.67 6.92 $62.09 $129,160
North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area 110 1.49 6.21 $64.06 $133,250
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 190 1.44 5.96 $44.86 $93,310

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far Western North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 250 5.25 21.81 $103.41 $215,100
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.11 0.47 $76.80 $159,750
North Central Texas nonmetropolitan area 110 1.49 6.21 $64.06 $133,250
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 120 1.67 6.92 $62.09 $129,160
Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area 170 1.40 5.82 $61.53 $127,980


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $90.00 per hour or $187,199 per year.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012