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Petroleum Engineering Majors’ Salary Over the Career
This figure shows median earnings by age for those who majored in Petroleum Engineering but have a bachelor’s degree only: “This Major (BA only)”, and those who majored in Petroleum Engineering but obtained a masters degree or higher: “This Major (Grad Degree)”. For reference, “All Majors (BA only)” contains the median income for all college graduates who have a bachelor’s degree only, and “All Majors (Grad Degree)” contains the median income for all college graduates who have a Master’s degree or higher.

This table highlights key outcomes for Petroleum Engineering majors, compared to averages for all college graduates.
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Top 10 Early-Career Occupations (Bachelor’s only)
These are the top occupations for Petroleum Engineering majors aged 25-35 who have a BA only (no graduate degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Petroleum Engineering majors aged 25-35 with a BA only who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers | 164,000 |
| 7 | Engineers, nec | 122,000 |
| 5 | Industrial Engineers, including Health and Safety | 149,000 |
| 3 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 115,000 |
| 3 | Civil Engineers | 94,200 |
| 2 | Chief executives and legislators/public administration | 98,200 |
| 2 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing | 97,200 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers | 28,900 |
| 2 | General and Operations Managers | 60,600 |
| 1 | Software Developers, Applications and Systems Software | 79,400 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Occupations (Bachelor’s only)
These are the top occupations for Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 who have a BA only (no graduate degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 with a BA only who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers | 247,000 |
| 10 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 176,000 |
| 6 | Engineers, nec | 152,000 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | 277,000 |
| 4 | Chief executives and legislators/public administration | 258,000 |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers | 186,000 |
| 3 | Managers in Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations | 178,000 |
| 3 | Unemployed | 0 |
| 3 | General and Operations Managers | 290,000 |
| 3 | Civil Engineers | 133,000 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Occupations (Master’s Degree or higher)
These are the top occupations for Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 who have completed graduate work (Masters, PhD, Professional Degree) and the median income they received in the occupation. The share indicates the percentage of Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 with graduate degrees who worked in that occupation.
| Share | Occupation | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers | 293,000 |
| 11 | Managers, nec (including Postmasters) | 302,000 |
| 5 | Chief executives and legislators/public administration | 544,000 |
| 5 | Engineers, nec | 159,000 |
| 4 | Postsecondary Teachers | 168,000 |
| 3 | Civil Engineers | 179,000 |
| 3 | Management Analysts | 207,000 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | 221,000 |
| 3 | Computer Scientists and Systems Analysts/Network systems Analysts/Web Developers | 167,000 |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers | 144,000 |

Top 10 Early-Career Industries
These are the top industries for Petroleum Engineering majors aged 25-35 and the median income they received in the industry. The share indicates the percentage of Petroleum Engineering majors aged 25-35 who worked in that industry.
| Share | Industry | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Oil and gas extraction | 165,000 |
| 4 | Petroleum refining | 146,000 |
| 4 | Engineering, architectural, and surveying services | 113,000 |
| 3 | All construction | 94,200 |
| 3 | Management and public relations services | 98,200 |
| 2 | Gas and steam supply systems | 102,000 |
| 2 | Security, commodity brokerage, and investment companies | 233,000 |
| 2 | Computer and data processing services | 77,900 |
| 2 | Petroleum products | 203,000 |
| 2 | Electric light and power | 65,800 |
Top 10 Mid-Career Industries
These are the top industries for Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 and the median income they received in the industry. The share indicates the percentage of Petroleum Engineering majors aged 45-55 who worked in that industry.
| Share | Industry | Income |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Oil and gas extraction | 289,000 |
| 6 | Petroleum refining | 200,000 |
| 5 | Engineering, architectural, and surveying services | 167,000 |
| 4 | Management and public relations services | 135,000 |
| 4 | Petroleum products | 231,000 |
| 3 | Gas and steam supply systems | 246,000 |
| 3 | All construction | 106,000 |
| 3 | Security, commodity brokerage, and investment companies | 388,000 |
| 3 | N/A (not applicable) | 0 |
| 2 | Computer and data processing services | 156,000 |
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