Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Kansas is $115,640/year ($55.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $195K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $129,149 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,066/month, or 14.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $116K actually covers in Kansas, month by month
About petroleum engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kansas
Pay for petroleum engineers in Kansas runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,066/month, 15.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Kansas can be a reasonable trade-off for petroleum engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $116K. Top earners bring in $195K or more, a $130K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Engineers salary by metro in Kansas
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $112K | -4% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track petroleum engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Kansas numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas?
Yes — at the median salary of $116K, rent takes 15.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,283/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Kansas?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $116K here vs. $145K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Kansas pays $116K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $129K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Kansas?
The median is $115,640 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,510, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $195,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $116K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,984/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 15.3% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $129,149 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.