Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Midland, TX is $172,070/year ($82.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $91K at the entry level to $299K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.78), that's roughly $179,651 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,772/month, or 16% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $172K get you in Midland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Midland’s Regional Price Parity (95.78). 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 Midland
Midland sits well above the national pay line for petroleum engineers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,772/month, 16.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.78) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Midland offers a genuinely strong financial position for petroleum engineerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for petroleum engineers in metros near Midland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $170K | $172K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $169K | $164K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $120K | $127K |
| Odessa | $136K | $144K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Midland, TX
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $91K. Mid-career wages sit at $172K. Top earners bring in $299K or more, a $208K 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 Midland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Midland?
Yes — at the median salary of $172K, rent takes 16.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,772/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Midland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $91K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,437/month. At HUD’s $1,772/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Midland?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $172K here vs. $145K nationally.
How does Midland compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Midland pays $172K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $180K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Midland, TX?
The median is $172,070 a year, that works out to about $83 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $90,620, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $298,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $172K enough to live in Midland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,697/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,772/month, which eats 16.6% 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 Midland?
Midland has a Regional Price Parity of 95.78 (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 $179,651 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.