California · SOC 17-2171
Petroleum Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for petroleum engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Petroleum Engineers in California earn a median of $147,780 per year ($146,850 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $97,600–$178,310; the top 10% earn $219,170. That is 5% above the national median of $141,280, ranking California #7 of 23 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$147,780
+5% vs national
Top 10% earn
$219,170
90th percentile
Employed in state
1,190
Reliability Moderate (17.3% RSE)
Petroleum Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $78,510 | — |
| 25th percentile | $97,600 | -9% |
| Median50th percentile | $147,780 | +5% |
| 75th percentile | $178,310 | -7% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $219,170 | -4% |
| Meanaverage | $146,850 | -4% |
Where petroleum engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2171. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $163,310 | $191,360 | 60 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $161,320 | $198,640 | 300 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $151,240 | $222,540 | 50 |
| BakersfieldBakersfield-Delano, CA | $139,940 | $208,070 | 280 |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,610 | ≥$239,200 | 280 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
0.53
Jobs per 1,000
0.07
State rank (pay)
#7 of 23
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 0.53 means petroleum engineers are less concentrated here than the national average, so openings are thinner even where pay is competitive.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2171 (Petroleum Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →