Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between petroleum geologists and geological engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a petroleum geologist, becoming a geological engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a petroleum geologist has an average salary of $111,574, which is higher than the $81,506 average annual salary of a geological engineer.
The top three skills for a petroleum geologist include log data, well-site and GIS. The most important skills for a geological engineer are geotechnical, autocad, and technical reports.
| Petroleum Geologist | Geological Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,574 | $81,506 |
| Hourly rate | $53.64 | $39.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 1,291 | 5,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Petroleum geologists and geological engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Petroleum Geologist | Geological Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,574 | $81,506 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $176,000 | Between $65,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | Lansing, MI |
| Highest paying state | Texas | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | ConocoPhillips | TOPS Well Services |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a petroleum geologist and a geological engineer in terms of educational background:
| Petroleum Geologist | Geological Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Geology | Geological Engineering |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Colorado School of Mines |
Here are the differences between petroleum geologists' and geological engineers' demographics:
| Petroleum Geologist | Geological Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 4.9% White, 82.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 20.2% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |