Materials Engineers vs Petroleum Engineers: $113K vs $145K Median Pay

Materials Engineers vs Petroleum Engineers: what changes?

Consider Materials Engineers if you want to evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Consider Petroleum Engineers if you would rather devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Materials Engineers and Petroleum Engineers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Materials Engineers

National median pay (2025): $112,860
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,300

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (23,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Materials Engineers brief

Petroleum Engineers

National median pay (2025): $144,910
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

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

See the full Petroleum Engineers brief

How the national numbers differ

Materials Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Materials Engineers is at 7.5% projected growth, compared with 2% projected growth for Petroleum Engineers.

Petroleum Engineers has the edge on median pay

Petroleum Engineers is at $144,910, compared with $112,860 for Materials Engineers.

Materials Engineers has the edge on annual openings

Materials Engineers is at 1,300 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Petroleum Engineers.

59/ 100

Materials Engineers

48.2/ 100

Petroleum Engineers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Materials Engineers vs Petroleum Engineers

Dimension	Materials Engineers	Petroleum Engineers
Median pay (2025)	$112,860	$144,910
Pay percentile	88.4 percentile	94.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	7.5%	2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,300	1,000
2025 employment	23,800	18,500
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Materials Engineers brief Read Petroleum Engineers brief

Materials Engineers vs Petroleum Engineers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Materials Engineers

Petroleum Engineers

How the national numbers differ

Materials Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Petroleum Engineers has the edge on median pay

Materials Engineers has the edge on annual openings

Materials Engineers vs Petroleum Engineers

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