RecruitLocalPros

Hiring Petroleum Engineers

Employers across the 24 metro areas we have BLS OEWS wage data for pay petroleum engineers a median of $98,010 to $212,240 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A search through recruitlocalpros runs Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340, set by seniority, never by location or salary. Our vetted recruiting partner handles sourcing, screening and placement end to end.

What do petroleum engineers do?

  • Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
  • Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
  • Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
  • Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
  • Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
  • Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 17-2171.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, C#, C++ for this role.

What do petroleum engineers get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for petroleum engineers in 24 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $98,010 to $212,240 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $148,390. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 17-2171.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for petroleum engineers in this build is $212,240. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $42,448 to $63,672 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can a petroleum engineers search fill?
23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.
What if the hire does not work out?
A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.

Price a petroleum engineers search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.

Other architecture and engineering roles

All roles we run searches for · Pay by city instead

Where we run petroleum engineers searches

The fee does not move with the city. The wage band does, so each page prices the role against what that metro actually pays.