How To Become A Reservoir Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a reservoir engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Ahmed Temani

Reservoir engineers, also known as pipeline or petroleum engineers, are individuals responsible for the development and production operations of fossil fuel in oil reservoir companies. Your job requires you to use special equipment and tools to locate and identify various oil and gas reserves, continuously monitor and supervise the drilling process, and analyze the amount of fuel to be drilled that won't adversely affect the surrounding environment. Also, you are to determine the most efficient way to extract the oil and gas and ensure the fuel is transported safely. You will also need to oversee the removal of company equipment and the proper disposal of waste materials once extraction processes are completed.

A bachelor's degree in petroleum, civil, chemical, mechanical, or a related engineering field is required to get this job. You also need to possess excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills and the ability to handle stressful work environments. Reservoir engineers in America earn an average yearly salary of $122,845 or $59 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a reservoir engineer?

Ahmed Temani

Senior Instructor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

As a new Petroleum Engineering graduate, it's crucial to be adaptable, eager to learn, and gain practical experience. Exploring different areas within petroleum engineering can help you discover your interests. Networking is key - attending industry events and joining professional organizations can provide valuable connections and opportunities. Staying up-to-date with new technologies in our rapidly evolving industry is also important.

ScoreReservoir EngineerUS Average

Salary

8.2

Avg. Salary $124,309

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 19.08%

Black or African American 4.14%

Hispanic or Latino 10.32%

Unknown 4.70%

White 61.49%

Gender

female 17.78%

male 82.22%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a reservoir engineer

Explore reservoir engineer education requirements

Most common reservoir engineer degrees

Bachelor's

66.3 %

Master's

24.1 %

Doctorate

5.6 %

Start to develop specific reservoir engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Spotfire	7.14%
Material Balances	6.55%
Economic Analysis	5.16%
Production Data	4.74%
EOR	4.63%

Complete relevant reservoir engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New reservoir engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a reservoir engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real reservoir engineer resumes.

Research reservoir engineer duties and responsibilities

Trial managed pressure drilling (MPD) to mitigate tight pressure margins.
Develop and manage a Spotfire production dashboard for cross-divisional consumption and reporting.
Monitor reservoir performance of a CO2 and hydrocarbon miscible flood projects.
Optimize schemes, development plans, and EOR technologies; analyze overall performance and economic evaluations.

Prepare your reservoir engineer resume

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