Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · CBSA 31080
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Los Angeles
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for petroleum engineers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against California and the national benchmark.
Petroleum Engineers in Los Angeles earn a median of $161,320 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $126,990–$166,550; the top 10% earn $198,640. That is 14% above the national median and 9% above the California median. BLS reports 300 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$161,320
+14% vs national
Top 10% earn
$198,640
90th percentile
Employed in metro
300
Reliability Moderate (14.8% RSE)
Petroleum Engineer pay — Los Angeles vs California vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $85,760 | +9% |
| 25th percentile | $126,990 | +18% |
| Median50th percentile | $161,320 | +14% |
| 75th percentile | $166,550 | -13% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $198,640 | -13% |
| Meanaverage | $148,620 | -3% |
How concentrated petroleum engineers are in Los Angeles
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
0.39
Jobs per 1,000
0.05
Metro rank (pay)
#10 of 38
All engineering roles
$135,996
At a location quotient of 0.39, this occupation is thinner on the ground in Los Angeles than nationally. Pay can still be competitive, but the local employer pool is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a petroleum engineer make in Los Angeles?
Does Los Angeles pay more than the rest of California?
Where does Los Angeles rank nationally for petroleum engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2171 (Petroleum Engineers), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →