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.

$141,280

Median Annual Pay

Jobs growth:

+1% projected 2024–2034

Bachelor's degree

Typical Entry-Level Education

What They Do

Petroleum engineers work to extract oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs as efficiently and safely as possible. They analyze geological data to identify promising drilling locations, then design and implement extraction methods tailored to each site's unique characteristics. Throughout a project's lifecycle, they monitor production levels, troubleshoot technical problems, and develop solutions to maximize resource recovery while minimizing environmental impact. Their work involves extensive computer modeling to simulate reservoir behavior and predict how different extraction techniques will perform over time.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Petroleum Engineering(masters)Texas A&M University-College Station, TX

Civil Engineering(masters)University of Central Florida, FL

Civil Engineering(masters)New York University, NY

Civil Engineering(masters)Manhattan University, NY

Civil Engineering(masters)University of Southern California, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJ

Civil Engineering(masters)University of California-San Diego, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)Villanova University, PA

Civil Engineering(masters)North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC

Civil Engineering(masters)Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA

Civil Engineering(masters)Norwich University, VT

Civil Engineering(masters)Columbia University in the City of New York, NY

Civil Engineering(masters)California State University-Fullerton, CA

Civil Engineering(bachelors)Loyola Marymount University, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)Mississippi State University, MS

Civil Engineering(masters)University of Washington-Seattle Campus, WA

Civil Engineering(masters)California State University-Sacramento, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)University of California-Davis, CA

Petroleum Engineering(bachelors)The University of Texas at Austin, TX

Civil Engineering(masters)California State University-Fresno, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)California State University-Los Angeles, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)Santa Clara University, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)California Institute of Technology, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)California Baptist University, CA

Civil Engineering(masters)California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, CA

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