Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Grand Junction, CO is $161,940/year ($77.85/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $254K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.48), that's roughly $169,606 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,282/month, or 12.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $162K actually covers in Grand Junction, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Junction’s Regional Price Parity (95.48). 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 Grand Junction
Grand Junction sits well above the national pay line for petroleum engineers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,282/month, 13.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.48) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Grand Junction offers a genuinely strong financial position for petroleum engineers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for petroleum engineers in metros near Grand Junction, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $175K | $165K |
| Greeley | $132K | $132K |
| Oklahoma City | $176K | $195K |
| Tulsa | $131K | $147K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Junction, CO
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $162K. Top earners bring in $254K or more, a $172K 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 annually. We'll email you when Grand Junction numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Junction?
Yes — at the median salary of $162K, rent takes 13.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,282/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Grand Junction?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,220/month. At HUD’s $1,282/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Grand Junction?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $162K here vs. $145K nationally.
How does Grand Junction compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Grand Junction pays $162K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.48), the purchasing-power equivalent is $170K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Grand Junction, CO?
The median is $161,940 a year, that works out to about $78 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,270, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $254,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $162K enough to live in Grand Junction?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,526/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,282/month, which eats 13.5% 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 Grand Junction?
Grand Junction has a Regional Price Parity of 95.48 (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 $169,606 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.