Engineering and Architecture · Career brief

Petroleum Engineers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Petroleum Engineers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$144,910

Very high national median pay

2025 national median. Top 10% for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

Slow projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

1,000

Low national opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Bottom quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Hands-on

Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments

Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (18,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

ChooseField take

The standout national signal is pay; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: This is a small national occupation (18,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median…

Before choosing, compare:Chemical Engineer Computer Hardware Engineer Electrical Engineer

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Petroleum Engineers with another field Explore rankings in Engineering and Architecture Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$144,910

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

2%employment growth1,000openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

18,500

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Petroleum engineers (17-2171).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (18,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Analyzing Data or Information4.6
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
Working with Computers4.4
Getting Information4.4
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.4

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Realistic5.4
Investigative5.3
Conventional4.3
Enterprising3.0
Artistic1.9
Social1.8

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Engineering and Technology Mathematics Physics Computers and Electronics

Software and tools named in job postings

Autodesk AutoCAD

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Complete a small design-build-test project with real constraints: measure, model, build or simulate, test, and revise after the first failure.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Petroleum engineers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Autodesk AutoCAD; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Chemical Engineer, Computer Hardware Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Materials Engineers.