Petroleum Engineer Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of petroleum engineers to grow 2.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 400 more jobs), with about 1,000 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $144,910 a year ranks 44th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.0%
- Openings a year
- 1,000
- Median pay
- $144,910
- Pay rank
- 44th of 825
Is employment of petroleum engineers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of petroleum engineers to rise 2.0% (about 400 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +6.8% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 36 architecture and engineering occupations with a projection. That change ranks 483rd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 18,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 18,800 |
| Projected change | +2.0% |
| Openings a year | 1,000 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 18,500 jobs here differ from the 18,060 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,000 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 659th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 40 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for petroleum engineers rank?
The median of $144,910 a year ranks 44th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | +3.8% | 300 | $106,220 |
| Chemical Engineers | +4.7% | 1,100 | $125,040 |
| Civil Engineers | +6.4% | 22,700 | $100,840 |
| Industrial Engineers | +12.4% | 23,100 | $102,440 |
| Mechanical Engineers | +11.2% | 17,800 | $104,110 |
| Electrical Engineers | +9.9% | 11,400 | $120,630 |
| Environmental Engineers | +6.3% | 2,300 | $107,110 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +3.1% | 6,600 | $66,120 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.