Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between petroleum engineers and office engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a petroleum engineer, becoming an office engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a petroleum engineer has an average salary of $99,505, which is higher than the $89,581 average annual salary of an office engineer.
The top three skills for a petroleum engineer include reservoir engineering, eclipse and production engineering. The most important skills for an office engineer are construction management, construction sites, and shop drawings.
| Petroleum Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,505 | $89,581 |
| Hourly rate | $47.84 | $43.07 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 15,188 | 59,644 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
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.
The duties of an office engineer depend on one's place or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing technical and clerical support to the workforce, coordinating different parties involved in a project or program, and implementing the company's policies and regulations. Moreover, as an office engineer, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, maintain accurate data and records of all transactions, manage schedules, perform maintenance checks, and address issues and concerns, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently.
Petroleum engineers and office engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petroleum Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,505 | $89,581 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $150,000 | Between $65,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Berry Petroleum Company | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a petroleum engineer and an office engineer in terms of educational background:
| Petroleum Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | New York University |
Here are the differences between petroleum engineers' and office engineers' demographics:
| Petroleum Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |