Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in New Mexico is $99,900/year ($48.03/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $152K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $107,350 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,119/month, or 17.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $100K actually covers in New Mexico, month by month
About petroleum engineers
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What this looks like in New Mexico
Pay for petroleum engineers in New Mexico runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,119/month, 18% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, New Mexico can be a reasonable trade-off for petroleum engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Mexico
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $152K or more, a $76K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Engineers salary by metro in New Mexico
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington | $112K | +12% | 30 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Mexico?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 18% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in New Mexico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,935/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in New Mexico?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $100K here vs. $145K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
New Mexico pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $107K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in New Mexico?
The median is $99,900 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,140, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $151,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in New Mexico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,230/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 18% 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 New Mexico?
New Mexico has a Regional Price Parity of 93.06 (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 $107,350 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.