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The differences between petroleum engineers and site 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 a site engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a petroleum engineer has an average salary of $99,505, which is higher than the $75,719 average annual salary of a site engineer.
The top three skills for a petroleum engineer include reservoir engineering, eclipse and production engineering. The most important skills for a site engineer are project management, infrastructure, and site safety.
| Petroleum Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,505 | $75,719 |
| Hourly rate | $47.84 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 15,188 | 42,333 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
A Site Engineer supervises the building work and contracted staff, and ensures that all projects meet the agreed specifications, budgets, and timescales. They provide technical advice and solve various problems on-site.
Petroleum engineers and site engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petroleum Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,505 | $75,719 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $150,000 | Between $53,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Berry Petroleum Company | Fitbit |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a petroleum engineer and a site engineer in terms of educational background:
| Petroleum Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between petroleum engineers' and site engineers' demographics:
| Petroleum Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% |
| 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, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.4% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |