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The differences between reservoir engineers and completion engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a reservoir engineer and a completion engineer. Additionally, a completion engineer has an average salary of $156,228, which is higher than the $124,309 average annual salary of a reservoir engineer.
The top three skills for a reservoir engineer include spotfire, material balances and economic analysis. The most important skills for a completion engineer are rig, AFE, and cost estimates.
| Reservoir Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $124,309 | $156,228 |
| Hourly rate | $59.76 | $75.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 17,430 | 11,512 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A reservoir engineer is responsible for evaluating the amount of fluid mechanics in underground reservoirs. Reservoir engineers should have excellent analytical and geological knowledge to determine the location of fuels using advanced technology systems and applications. They also verify the cost of oil and natural gas by analyzing market trends and consumer demands, especially for investment and drilling ventures purposes. A reservoir engineer should have excellent communication skills to write reports and strategize efficiency on drilling processes.
Completion Engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for designing and monitoring well completions and ensuring the safety of drilling completion operations. These engineers must communicate instructions to the drilling contractors for all operations while emphasizing safety, well control, and LEAN. They are required to conduct meetings on multiple onsite safety and analysis of hazardous materials to improve workplace safety. Completion Engineers must also work closely with the senior management to establish standard operating procedures that follow the industry and government regulations.
Reservoir engineers and completion engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reservoir Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Average salary | $124,309 | $156,228 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $170,000 | Between $107,000 And $227,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Range Resources | Devon Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a reservoir engineer and a completion engineer in terms of educational background:
| Reservoir Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Petroleum Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between reservoir engineers' and completion engineers' demographics:
| Reservoir Engineer | Completion Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8% | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |