Petroleum Engineers Salary
The median pay for a petroleum engineers in Wichita, KS is $111,590/year ($53.65/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $417K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.95), which stretches that salary to about $125,453 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,099/month, or 15.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $112K get you in Wichita?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wichita’s Regional Price Parity (88.95). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Wichita
Pay for petroleum engineers in Wichita runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $145K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,099/month, 16.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Wichita 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 Wichita, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | $98K | $107K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $175K | , |
| Oklahoma City | $176K | $195K |
| Tulsa | $131K | $147K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wichita, KS
Entry-level petroleum engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $112K. Top earners bring in $417K or more, a $350K 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 Wichita numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a petroleum engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wichita?
Yes — at the median salary of $112K, rent takes 16.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,099/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for petroleum engineers in Wichita?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new petroleum engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,988/month. At HUD’s $1,099/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is petroleum engineer a high-paying job in Wichita?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $112K here vs. $145K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wichita compare to the national average for petroleum engineers?
Wichita pays $112K median vs. the U.S. average of $145K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $125K — below the national median.
How much do petroleum engineers make in Wichita, KS?
The median is $111,590 a year, that works out to about $54 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,460, and experienced petroleum engineers can clear $416,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $112K enough to live in Wichita?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,765/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,099/month, which eats 16.2% 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 Wichita?
Wichita has a Regional Price Parity of 88.95 (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 $125,453 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.