Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Utah is $172,840/year ($83.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $101K at the entry level to $213K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.54), that's roughly $175,401 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,350/month, or 12.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Utah. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $173K actually covers in Utah, month by month
About petroleum engineers
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What this looks like in Utah
Utah 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 $1,350/month, 13.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 98.54) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Utah offers a genuinely strong financial position for petroleum engineers at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Utah
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $101K. Mid-career wages sit at $173K. Top earners bring in $213K or more, a $111K spread from bottom to top.
Petroleum Engineers salary by metro in Utah
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $180K | +4% | 110 |
| Ogden | $158K | -8% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Utah 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 Utah?
Yes — at the median salary of $173K, rent takes 13.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,350/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Utah?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $101K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,255/month. At HUD’s $1,350/month FMR, rent would take 22% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Utah?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $173K here vs. $145K nationally.
How does Utah compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Utah pays $173K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $175K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Utah?
The median is $172,840 a year, that works out to about $83 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $101,490, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $212,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $173K enough to live in Utah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,071/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,350/month, which eats 13.4% 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 Utah?
Utah has a Regional Price Parity of 98.54 (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 $175,401 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.