Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Texas is $164,860/year ($79.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $90K at the entry level to $284K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $180,195 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,415/month, or 13.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $165K get you in Texas?
About petroleum engineers
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What this looks like in Texas
Texas sits well above the national pay line for petroleum engineers, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,415/month, 13.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Texas offers a genuinely strong financial position for petroleum engineerss at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $90K. Mid-career wages sit at $165K. Top earners bring in $284K or more, a $194K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Engineers salary by metro in Texas
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland | $172K | +4% | 940 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $170K | +3% | 4,770 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $169K | +2% | 150 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $169K | +2% | 910 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $168K | +2% | 90 |
| Lubbock | $164K | -0% | 100 |
| Corpus Christi | $156K | -5% | 110 |
| Odessa | $136K | -18% | 220 |
| Tyler | $133K | -20% | 60 |
| El Paso | $132K | -20% | 40 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $120K | -27% | 240 |
| Longview | $101K | -39% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
Yes — at the median salary of $165K, rent takes 13.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $90K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,399/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Texas?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $165K here vs. $145K nationally.
How does Texas compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Texas pays $165K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $180K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Texas?
The median is $164,860 a year, that works out to about $79 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $89,990, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $283,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $165K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,286/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 13.8% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $180,195 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.