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Best states for a petroleum engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for petroleum engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for petroleum engineer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research found that Delaware is the best state for petroleum engineers, while Nevada and Rhode Island are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Delaware has a median salary of $120,081 and Nevada has the highest median salary among all 50 states for petroleum engineers.
In order to get you the best states for petroleum engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for petroleum engineers, and the Northeast is the worst. Las Vegas, NV is the best city in the country for petroleum engineer jobs, where as Delaware is the best state in the country.
10 best states for petroleum engineers in 2025
1. Delaware
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $120,081 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.75
2. Nevada
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 73 Average annual salary: $127,888 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
3. District of Columbia
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 191 Average annual salary: $119,427 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 3.29
4. Arizona
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $107,148 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
5. Florida
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $116,832 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Alaska
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $108,996 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
7. New Hampshire
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 50 Average annual salary: $118,998 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
8. Washington
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 395 Average annual salary: $104,652 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
9. Wyoming
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $99,488 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
10. Texas
Total petroleum engineer jobs: 638 Average annual salary: $103,254 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Petroleum engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a petroleum engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a petroleum engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $120,081 | $81,000 | 961,939 | 76 |
| 2 | Nevada | $127,888 | $87,000 | 2,998,039 | 73 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $119,427 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 191 |
| 4 | Arizona | $107,148 | $73,000 | 7,016,270 | 225 |
| 5 | Florida | $116,832 | $77,000 | 20,984,400 | 509 |
| 6 | Alaska | $108,996 | $76,000 | 739,795 | 34 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $118,998 | $80,000 | 1,342,795 | 50 |
| 8 | Washington | $104,652 | $71,000 | 7,405,743 | 395 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $99,488 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 24 |
| 10 | Texas | $103,254 | $70,000 | 28,304,596 | 638 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $120,843 | $81,000 | 1,059,639 | 26 |
| 12 | New York | $112,628 | $76,000 | 19,849,399 | 401 |
| 13 | Virginia | $102,228 | $69,000 | 8,470,020 | 632 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $105,363 | $72,000 | 5,576,606 | 181 |
| 15 | Vermont | $98,041 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 41 |
| 16 | California | $103,545 | $70,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,533 |
| 17 | Idaho | $98,697 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 58 |
| 18 | Montana | $98,533 | $67,000 | 1,050,493 | 39 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $101,052 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 306 |
| 20 | Maine | $101,114 | $67,000 | 1,335,907 | 34 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $101,535 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 90 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $98,531 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 128 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $97,351 | $66,000 | 5,024,369 | 115 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $91,868 | $62,000 | 10,273,419 | 277 |
| 25 | Oregon | $89,015 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 223 |
| 26 | Maryland | $89,728 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 331 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $93,335 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 46 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $86,859 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 83 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $89,310 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 80 |
| 30 | Michigan | $87,581 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 203 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $89,788 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 31 |
| 32 | Illinois | $88,310 | $60,000 | 12,802,023 | 360 |
| 33 | Colorado | $85,796 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 299 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $96,917 | $65,000 | 9,005,644 | 168 |
| 35 | Indiana | $84,741 | $57,000 | 6,666,818 | 175 |
| 36 | Georgia | $79,568 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 356 |
| 37 | Iowa | $84,541 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 81 |
| 38 | Missouri | $87,337 | $59,000 | 6,113,532 | 102 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $84,308 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 77 |
| 40 | Utah | $68,155 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 126 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $84,034 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 242 |
| 42 | Ohio | $79,879 | $54,000 | 11,658,609 | 221 |
| 43 | Kansas | $82,914 | $56,000 | 2,913,123 | 65 |
| 44 | Alabama | $66,156 | $44,000 | 4,874,747 | 131 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $74,820 | $51,000 | 869,666 | 27 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $78,687 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 127 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $67,424 | $46,000 | 755,393 | 23 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $63,606 | $43,000 | 1,815,857 | 38 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $55,784 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 71 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $63,561 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 44 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $59,029 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 70 |
Highest paying states for petroleum engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Petroleum Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $120,081 |
| 2 | Nevada | $127,888 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $119,427 |
| 4 | Arizona | $107,148 |
| 5 | Florida | $116,832 |
| 6 | Alaska | $108,996 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $118,998 |
| 8 | Washington | $104,652 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $99,488 |
| 10 | Texas | $103,254 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $120,843 |
| 12 | New York | $112,628 |
| 13 | Virginia | $102,228 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $105,363 |
| 15 | Vermont | $98,041 |
| 16 | California | $103,545 |
| 17 | Idaho | $98,697 |
| 18 | Montana | $98,533 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $101,052 |
| 20 | Maine | $101,114 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $101,535 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $98,531 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $97,351 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $91,868 |
| 25 | Oregon | $89,015 |
| 26 | Maryland | $89,728 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $93,335 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $86,859 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $89,310 |
| 30 | Michigan | $87,581 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $89,788 |
| 32 | Illinois | $88,310 |
| 33 | Colorado | $85,796 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $96,917 |
| 35 | Indiana | $84,741 |
| 36 | Georgia | $79,568 |
| 37 | Iowa | $84,541 |
| 38 | Missouri | $87,337 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $84,308 |
| 40 | Utah | $68,155 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $84,034 |
| 42 | Ohio | $79,879 |
| 43 | Kansas | $82,914 |
| 44 | Alabama | $66,156 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $74,820 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $78,687 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $67,424 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $63,606 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $55,784 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $63,561 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $59,029 |
Expert opinions on the best states for petroleum engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for petroleum engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025