Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · CBSA 19740
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Denver
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for petroleum engineers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Colorado and the national benchmark.
Petroleum Engineers in Denver earn a median of $168,740 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $114,720–$219,260; the top 10% earn at least $239,200. That is 19% above the national median and 1% above the Colorado median. BLS reports 790 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$168,740
+19% vs national
Top 10% earn
≥$239,200
BLS topcodes at this level
Employed in metro
790
Reliability Good (9.3% RSE)
Petroleum Engineer pay — Denver vs Colorado vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $89,990 | +14% |
| 25th percentile | $114,720 | +7% |
| Median50th percentile | $168,740 | +19% |
| 75th percentile | $219,260 | +15% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | ≥$239,200 | +5% |
| Meanaverage | $177,460 | +16% |
How concentrated petroleum engineers are in Denver
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
3.95
Jobs per 1,000
0.49
Metro rank (pay)
#6 of 38
All engineering roles
$129,300
At a location quotient of 3.95, Denver is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 4.0× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a petroleum engineer make in Denver?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2171 (Petroleum Engineers), Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →