The salary of a petroleum engineer is influenced by number of factors. They include educational qualification, type of employer, work experience, etc. This article deals with a brief information on the salary and job description of these professionals.
*All figures mentioned in this article are in US dollars, and as of April 2014.
It is all because of the science of petroleum, that we can use fuel for vehicles, and gas for cooking food. It is an incredible field of engineering, that deals with extraction of oil and natural gas from the deposits below the Earth’s surface. The main duty of a petroleum engineer is to extract these oils and gases in the cheapest, as well as safest way. He may also work as a faculty for a school or university, or as a consultant for a private or government industry.
The career of a petroleum engineer provides great opportunities to explore various energy sources, and hence, demands traveling all around the world. This profession is a good choice for those who are interested in earth sciences, and may enjoy exploring various mountains, oceans, and deserts.
Salary
The salaries are governed by various factors and hence, vary to great extent. As per Payscale, the average starting salary is $88,641 per year, and is the highest petroleum chemical engineering salary. The average petroleum engineer salary per month is around $8,916. The salaries also depend upon the industry one is working in. Other factors that influence the salary of a petroleum engineer are one’s degree and work experience. Given below are tables that provide figures related to these salaries.
According to Specialization
| Drilling Engineering | $101,410 |
| Project Management | $110,055 |
| Reservoir Engineering | $101,276 |
| Well Production Engineering | $106,506 |
According to Experience
| 0 – 5 years | $88,641 |
| 5 – 10 years | $105,371 |
| 10 – 20 years | $127,990 |
| 20 years and above | $166,849 |
According to State
| Alabama | $108,000 |
| Alaska | $81,000 |
| Arizona | $89,000 |
| Arkansas | $106,000 |
| California | $115,000 |
| Colorado | $95,000 |
| Connecticut | $123,000 |
| Delaware | $94,000 |
| Florida | $100,000 |
| Georgia | $122,000 |
| Hawaii | $67,000 |
| Idaho | $71,000 |
| Illinois | $121,000 |
| Indiana | $103,000 |
| Iowa | $105,000 |
| Kansas | $97,000 |
| Kentucky | $91,000 |
| Louisiana | $92,000 |
| Maine | $94,000 |
| Maryland | $110,000 |
| Massachusetts | $128,000 |
| Michigan | $109,000 |
| Minnesota | $94,000 |
| Mississippi | $112,000 |
| Missouri | $104,000 |
| Montana | $96,000 |
| Nebraska | $78,000 |
| Nevada | $84,000 |
| New Hampshire | $105,000 |
| New Jersey | $115,000 |
| New Mexico | $94,000 |
| New York | $130,000 |
| North Carolina | $102,000 |
| North Dakota | $95,000 |
| Ohio | $102,000 |
| Oklahoma | $98,000 |
| Oregon | $102,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $103,000 |
| Rhode Island | $98,000 |
| South Carolina | $103,000 |
| South Dakota | $81,000 |
| Tennessee | $98,000 |
| Texas | $104,000 |
| Utah | $84,000 |
| Vermont | $95,000 |
| Virginia | $107,000 |
| Washington | $108,000 |
| West Virginia | $101,000 |
| Wisconsin | $95,000 |
| Wyoming | $89,000 |
*All figures mentioned in the table above are as per Indeed.
Job Description
The basic educational requirement is a Bachelor’s degree in petroleum, chemical, or mechanical engineering. For obtaining a job related to research or teaching, a student may be required to obtain a Master’s degree. After acquiring the required qualification, a student can apply to various private industries. In the initial phase, one may have to undergo rigorous training to understand the proper techniques of fuel extraction. After some years of work experience, many individuals prefer starting a private consultancy of their own.
As mentioned earlier, the main duty of a petroleum engineer is to extract natural gas or oil, with the most economic method in the safest manner. When a site is finalized for extraction, he analyzes the area, and designs a plan to extract the oil without causing a spill and wastage. Some professionals also travel to various foreign countries to discover reserves of oil and natural gas. They have to discover areas from which energy can be extracted.
Petroleum engineers have to work in conjunction with other earth science professionals, like geologists. With the help of other professionals they analyze the properties of the reservoir, and find out the best method for drilling. After that, he has to evaluate the total cost of fuel extraction. Once the fuel extraction process begins, he has to monitor the tools and the labors involved in extraction. A petroleum engineer has a very vigorous work-schedule, and may have to work at a stretch for 10 days. Those professionals who work at oil production sites have to work at irregular timings, since the fuel extraction goes on day and night.
Due to the increasing demand for alternative energy sources, many petroleum engineers are using their talent for discovering harmless energy fuels. This job is quite exciting, with various opportunities to explore the world.