Petroleum Engineers

What Petroleum Engineers Do

Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

1.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.4/5
• Mathematicsimportance 4.1/5
• Physicsimportance 3.5/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
• Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.2/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• E-Mail5.0/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
• Telephone Conversations4.8/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.5/5

Related Careers

• Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
• Chemical Engineers
• Industrial Production Managers
• Civil Engineers
• Industrial Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Electrical Engineers
• Environmental Engineers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers95% skill match
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists95% skill match
• Conservation Scientists95% skill match
• Industrial Engineers95% skill match
• Architectural and Engineering Managers94% skill match
• Environmental Engineers94% skill match
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks94% skill match
• Transportation Inspectors93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.9/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 3.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.6/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.6/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Dependability
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Innovation
• Achievement Orientation
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• InvestigativeHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingMedium
• ArtisticLow
• SocialLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where petroleum engineers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Midland, TX66.36× national avg
2. 2Odessa, TX22.98× national avg
3. 3Greeley, CO21.42× national avg
4. 4Casper, WY16.74× national avg
5. 5Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX12.50× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Industrial EngineersLateral Move
• Environmental EngineersLateral Move
• Architectural and Engineering ManagersCareer Change
• Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and InspectorsLateral Move

See the full career path from Petroleum Engineers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.