BLS metro-level wage data places Petroleum Engineers pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA at a median of $148,390 per year ($71.34/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $144,910, New Orleans-Metairie pays +2% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 320 petroleum engineerss are employed across the New Orleans-Metairie MSA in SOC 17-2171.

The New Orleans-Metairie pay distribution spans from $72,820 at the 10th percentile to $237,280 at the 90th — a 3.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $121,510 and the 75th at $182,560, so half of New Orleans-Metairie-based petroleum engineerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so New Orleans-Metairie, LA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide LA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.