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The differences between reservoir engineers and drilling fluids 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 drilling fluids engineer. Additionally, a reservoir engineer has an average salary of $124,309, which is higher than the $89,974 average annual salary of a drilling fluids engineer.
The top three skills for a reservoir engineer include spotfire, material balances and economic analysis. The most important skills for a drilling fluids engineer are drilling fluid, fluid systems, and polymer.
| Reservoir Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $124,309 | $89,974 |
| Hourly rate | $59.76 | $43.26 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 17,430 | 5,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Together with a drilling rig engineer, a drilling fluids engineer helps with the pumping of fluids, testing liquids for unwanted particles. They also are involved in mixing fluids needed to drill oil or gas. Another task is providing reports for fluid properties acquired and giving recommendations. They keep a timely record of the performance of each staff member. If staffing is inadequate, they are also tasked to calculate funds for the drilling, allocating budget in both the procedures and miscellaneous expenses.
Reservoir engineers and drilling fluids engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reservoir Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Average salary | $124,309 | $89,974 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $170,000 | Between $52,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | Houston, TX |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Range Resources | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a reservoir engineer and a drilling fluids engineer in terms of educational background:
| Reservoir Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between reservoir engineers' and drilling fluids engineers' demographics:
| Reservoir Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8% | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |