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Drilling fluids engineer salary

Average drilling fluids engineer salary

$89,974

$43.26 hourly rate

Entry-level drilling fluids engineer salary
$52,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Drilling Fluids Engineer Salary

The average salary for a Drilling Fluids Engineer is approximately $89,974 annually, which translates to about $43 per hour. This role is crucial in the oil and gas industry, focusing on the formulation and management of drilling fluids that enhance drilling efficiency and safety. As the demand for energy resources grows, so does the need for skilled engineers in this sector.

Salary by State

Salaries can vary significantly based on geographic location. Texas, a major hub for the energy industry, often offers some of the highest salaries for this role, while states like California and Alaska also provide competitive compensation based on the cost of living and demand. Understanding these variances is key for job seekers looking to maximize their earning potential.

Career Growth Opportunities

With experience, drilling fluids engineers can advance to senior roles or specialized positions, potentially leading to salaries exceeding six figures. Continuous education and certifications in new technologies can also enhance job prospects and salary potential.

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Where can a Drilling Fluids Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
134k
114k
94k
74k
54k
34k
Columbus, OH$122,450
Huntsville, AL$64,435
Compare salary by company
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161k
141k
121k
101k
81k
61k
Koch Industries$132,116
General Dynamics$91,323

Drilling fluids engineer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com and Glassdoor, the average salary for a drilling fluids engineer typically falls between $71,176 and $107,309.
zippia
$89,974yearly
glassdoor[1]
$107,309yearly
Salary.com[2]
$71,176yearly

Average drilling fluids engineer salary by state

The highest-paying states for drilling fluids engineers are Nevada, Texas, and Delaware. The lowest average drilling fluids engineer salary states are South Dakota, Utah, and Alabama.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for drilling fluids engineers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Delaware$116,586$56.05
2Texas$122,136$58.72
3Nevada$128,431$61.75
4District of Columbia$116,508$56.01
5Arizona$106,729$51.31
6New Hampshire$110,018$52.89
7Wyoming$102,584$49.32
8New York$107,448$51.66
9Florida$104,584$50.28
10Washington$103,460$49.74
11Rhode Island$113,911$54.76
12Virginia$100,167$48.16
13Idaho$101,736$48.91
14California$101,735$48.91
15New Mexico$102,776$49.41
16Minnesota$98,811$47.51
17South Carolina$97,130$46.70
18Alaska$96,065$46.19
19Colorado$92,176$44.32
20Montana$97,845$47.04
21Connecticut$96,244$46.27
22Oklahoma$94,561$45.46
23Wisconsin$91,759$44.11
24North Carolina$90,164$43.35
25Louisiana$92,582$44.51
26Oregon$88,914$42.75
27Vermont$87,922$42.27
28Maryland$87,433$42.04
29Nebraska$85,654$41.18
30Mississippi$92,165$44.31
31West Virginia$90,706$43.61
32Maine$90,493$43.51
33New Jersey$92,852$44.64
34Massachusetts$84,474$40.61
35Illinois$83,968$40.37
36Michigan$81,734$39.30
37Indiana$81,666$39.26
38Georgia$79,494$38.22
39Missouri$85,982$41.34
40Utah$72,868$35.03
41Iowa$81,880$39.37
42Kansas$83,108$39.96
43Hawaii$77,433$37.23
44Alabama$65,668$31.57
45Ohio$76,201$36.64
46Tennessee$77,885$37.44
47Pennsylvania$74,057$35.60
48South Dakota$73,314$35.25
49Arkansas$55,906$26.88
50Kentucky$57,440$27.62
51North Dakota$63,167$30.37

Highest paying cities for drilling fluids engineers

The highest-paying cities for drilling fluids engineers are Houston, TX, Titusville, FL, and Concord, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Houston, TX$122,450$58.87
2Titusville, FL$109,518$52.65
3Concord, CA$106,718$51.31
4Tucson, AZ$105,342$50.65
5Seattle, WA$104,114$50.05
6Chesapeake, VA$100,367$48.25
7Charleston, SC$97,513$46.88
8Stratford, CT$96,569$46.43
9Tulsa, OK$92,948$44.69
10New Orleans, LA$92,198$44.33
11Fond du Lac, WI$92,096$44.28
12Springfield, MO$87,489$42.06
13Detroit, MI$82,192$39.52
14Kokomo, IN$82,054$39.45
15Lenexa, KS$82,005$39.43
16Atlanta, GA$79,316$38.13
17Huntsville, AL$64,435$30.98

Drilling fluids engineer salary details

A drilling fluids engineer's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $154,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average drilling fluids engineer salary graph
Average drilling fluids engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a drilling fluids engineer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$154,000$12,833$74
75th Percentile$119,000$9,917$57
Average$89,974$7,498$43
25th Percentile$67,000$5,583$32
10th Percentile$52,000$4,333$25

Highest paying drilling fluids engineer jobs

The highest paying types of drilling fluids engineers are completion engineer, reservoir engineer, and reservoir engineering consultant.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Gas Analyst$72,163$6,014$34.6912,120
Engineer$92,076$7,673$44.27618,207
Completion Engineer$156,228$13,019$75.1111,512
Reservoir Engineer$124,309$10,359$59.7617,430
Construction Engineer$74,680$6,223$35.9051,380
Petroleum Engineer$99,505$8,292$47.8415,188

Top companies hiring drilling fluids engineers now:

  1. EOG Resources jobs (4)
  2. Schlumberger jobs (27)
  3. Baker Hughes jobs (94)
  4. Halliburton jobs (223)
  5. NOV jobs (33)

Which companies pay drilling fluids engineers the most?

Drilling fluids engineer salaries at Koch Industries and Schlumberger are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average drilling fluids engineer salary at companies like PRO Unlimited and ConocoPhillips are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Koch Industries$132,116$63.52
2Schlumberger$116,976$56.24
3PRO Unlimited$112,194$53.94
4ConocoPhillips$110,020$52.89
5General Electric$100,371$48.26
6TechnipFMC$100,263$48.20
7Momentus Space$97,872$47.05
8American Axle & Manufacturing$95,760$46.04
9Electric$95,170$45.75
10Jacobs Enterprises$95,156$45.75
11Loram Maintenance of Way$94,541$45.45
12Firefly Aerospace$94,258$45.32
13SpaceX$94,206$45.29
14Virgin Hyperloop$94,184$45.28
15Brunswick$93,710$45.05
16Quaker Houghton$93,597$45.00
17SRC$93,324$44.87
18Hyspeco$93,126$44.77
19Plug Power$91,536$44.01
20General Dynamics$91,323$43.91

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$84,000$83,000$82,000$81,000$80,000$79,000
MaleFemale

Drilling fluids engineer salary trends

The average drilling fluids engineer salary has risen by $9,860 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average drilling fluids engineer earned $80,114 annually, but today, they earn $89,974 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for drilling fluids engineers over the last decade.

Compare drilling fluids engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average drilling fluids engineer salary over time

Compare drilling fluids engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Drilling fluids engineer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$90,000$43.26-0.3%
2024$90,200$43.38+0.4%
2023$89,900$43.21+3.6%
2022$86,700$41.67+3.1%
2021$84,000$40.39-1.4%

Recently added drilling fluids engineer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
RelativityStage Fluids Engineer ILong Beach, CA06/29/2025$97,000
RelativityLaunch Fluids Engineer IICape Canaveral, FL06/29/2025$112,000
Space Exploration TechnologiesLaunch Engineer, Fluid Systems (Launch PAD)Lompoc, CA05/18/2025$110,000
RelativityLaunch Fluids Engineer IICape Canaveral, FL04/28/2025$112,000
SpacexLaunch Pad Engineer, Fluid SystemsCape Canaveral, FL04/28/2025$110,000
Blue OriginFluids Launch Vehicle Engineer IIIVan Horn, TX04/28/2025$117,498
Corning IncorporatedEngineer, Imaging & Fluid DynamicsPainted Post, NY04/11/2025$68,503
Blue OriginFluids Launch Vehicle Engineer IIVan Horn, TX03/30/2025$96,310
Blue OriginFluids Launch Vehicle Engineer IIISeattle, WA03/29/2025$117,498
RelativityLaunch Fluids Engineer IICape Canaveral, FL03/26/2025$112,000

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