Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Longview, TX is $101,290/year ($48.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $195K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.48), which stretches that salary to about $113,198 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,199/month, or 17.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $101K actually covers in Longview, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Longview’s Regional Price Parity (89.48). 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 Longview
Pay for petroleum engineers in Longview runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,199/month, 18.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.48 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Longview 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 Longview, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $170K | $172K |
| Midland | $172K | $180K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $169K | $164K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $120K | $127K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Longview, TX
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $195K or more, a $135K 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 Longview 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 Longview?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 18.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,199/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Longview?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,220/month. At HUD’s $1,199/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Longview?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $101K here vs. $145K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Longview compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Longview pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.48), the purchasing-power equivalent is $113K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Longview, TX?
The median is $101,290 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,490, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $195,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Longview?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,637/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,199/month, which eats 18.1% 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 Longview?
Longview has a Regional Price Parity of 89.48 (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 $113,198 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.