Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Columbus, OH is $99,260/year ($47.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $103,970 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 22.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $99K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About petroleum engineers
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What this looks like in Columbus
Pay for petroleum engineers in Columbus runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,430/month, 22.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Columbus can be a reasonable trade-off for petroleum engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for petroleum engineers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $136K | $135K |
| Pittsburgh | $130K | $138K |
| Charleston | $89K | $100K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $107K | $104K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Petroleum Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $206K | +42% | 280 |
| Utah | $173K | +19% | 280 |
| Colorado | $172K | +19% | 1,390 |
| Texas | $165K | +14% | 9,140 |
| Oklahoma | $153K | +6% | 1,450 |
| California | $144K | -1% | 1,060 |
| Louisiana | $140K | -4% | 710 |
| Washington | $135K | -7% | 190 |
| North Dakota | $132K | -9% | 130 |
| Kansas | $116K | -20% | 110 |
| Montana | $104K | -28% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $102K | -30% | 600 |
| Nebraska | $101K | -30% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $100K | -31% | 260 |
| Ohio | $99K | -32% | 200 |
| West Virginia | $93K | -36% | 380 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track petroleum engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 22.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,741/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Columbus?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $99K here vs. $145K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Columbus pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $99,260 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,010, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $138,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,347/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 22.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a petroleum engineers salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median petroleum engineers salary is worth about $103,970 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do petroleum engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.