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The differences between petroleum engineers and chemical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a petroleum engineer has an average salary of $99,505, which is higher than the $89,449 average annual salary of a chemical engineer.
The top three skills for a petroleum engineer include reservoir engineering, eclipse and production engineering. The most important skills for a chemical engineer are chemistry, technical support, and co-op.
| Petroleum Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,505 | $89,449 |
| Hourly rate | $47.84 | $43.00 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 15,188 | 42,176 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | - |
A petroleum engineer is responsible for developing safe and efficient extracting procedures of drilling oil and gas from the underground surface. Petroleum engineers inspect the safety and stability of tools and equipment before and after every operation, conducting preventive maintenance with the machinery for its optimal performance. They also evaluate the specifications and measurements of the location by studying blueprints and analyzing statistical surveys. A petroleum engineer must have excellent analytical and organizational skills, especially when implementing drilling operations and resolving inconsistencies and equipment failures.
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
Petroleum engineers and chemical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petroleum Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,505 | $89,449 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $150,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Sugar Land, TX |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Texas |
| Best paying company | Berry Petroleum Company | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a petroleum engineer and a chemical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Petroleum Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between petroleum engineers' and chemical engineers' demographics:
| Petroleum Engineer | Chemical Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |