# Petroleum Engineers

US SOC code 17-2171. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2171

Also called: Reservoir engineer, Drilling engineer, Completions engineer, Well engineer, Subsurface engineer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **18,060** US petroleum engineers, with median pay of **$144,910** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **22,100**, in May 2021. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.spe.org/en/about/history/) of **15,000** from 1950, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for petroleum engineers: Cloud E&P platforms + data-driven completion optimization, 2014 to 2022. Capital efficiency gains from data-driven operations meant operators could extract more oil and gas with fewer engineers per well.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2171&ioType=o).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Petroleum Engineers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1914
- Latest US employment: 18,060 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $144,910 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [10]
- Outlook: +2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [28]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 21332)
  - Employment, 2020: 5,185. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 21332 Petroleum engineers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$160,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [14]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 21332 Petroleum engineers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1950 | 15,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., SPE History [1] |
| 1982 | 55,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS [2] |
| 1990 | 20,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., CS Monitor (1987) [3] |
| 1991 | n/a | $40,164 (estimate) | Est., SPE / NACE [9] |
| 2000 | 16,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., O\*NET 17-2171.00 [4] |
| 2003 | 11,630 | $83,900 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 14,690 | $88,500 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 14,860 | $93,000 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 15,060 | $98,380 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 16,060 | $103,960 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 20,880 | $108,020 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 25,540 | $108,910 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 28,210 | $114,080 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 30,880 | $122,280 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 36,410 | $130,280 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 34,910 | $132,320 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 33,740 | $130,050 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 34,600 | $129,990 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 32,780 | $128,230 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 32,010 | $132,280 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 32,510 | $137,170 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 32,620 | $137,720 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 27,850 | $137,330 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 22,100 | $130,850 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 20,540 | $131,800 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 20,390 | $135,690 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 18,970 | $141,280 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 18,060 | $144,910 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (90)

### Employment series

1. [SPE History — Petroleum Branch of AIME had approximately 3,700 members in 1950; grew to 12,500 by 1957 when SPE formed](https://www.spe.org/en/about/history/), Society of Petroleum Engineers
2. [BLS — US oil and gas industry employment peaked at approximately 860,000 in 1982; layoffs of 100,000 occurred in early 1986 alone](https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/04/oil-and-gas-job-losses-may-have-gotten-as-bad-as-they-will-get.html), CNBC / BLS
3. [CS Monitor (1987) — Oil-related employment in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana dropped 38% since 1981-82; 200,000 jobs lost in Houston alone](https://www.csmonitor.com/1987/0831/a1patch.html), Christian Science Monitor
4. [O\*NET 17-2171.00 — BLS OEWS May 2024 employment 19,600; BLS OOH 2024-34 projects 1% growth, 1,200 annual openings](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2171.00), O\*NET / BLS
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [SPE / NACE — BS petroleum engineering graduates 1991: median accepted salary $3,347/month ($40,164/year); up 9.7% from 1990](https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/article/17214256/job-offers-salaries-up-for-petroleum-engineering-grads), Oil and Gas Journal / SPE salary survey
10. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
11. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

15. [Wikipedia — Petroleum engineering (AIME 1914, University of Pittsburgh first degree 1915)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_engineering), Wikipedia
16. [Smithsonian Institution Libraries — Lester Charles Uren, "Petroleum Production Engineering" (1924, McGraw-Hill)](https://www.si.edu/object/siris_sil_402437), Smithsonian Institution Libraries
17. [American Oil and Gas Historical Society — "Shooters: A Fracking History" (Stanolind 1949 first commercial hydraulic fracturing)](https://aoghs.org/technology/hydraulic-fracturing/), American Oil and Gas Historical Society
18. [Engineering and Technology History Wiki — "Simulation of Oil Reserves on a Digital Computer" (IBM 7090 era, finite-difference reservoir simulation)](https://ethw.org/Archives:Simulation_of_Oil_Reserves_on_a_Digital_Computer), Engineering and Technology History Wiki (IEEE)
19. [Wikipedia — Reservoir simulation (history: late 1940s analog models, late 1950s digital breakthrough)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservoir_simulation), Wikipedia
20. [US Energy Information Administration — "Drilling Sideways: A Review of Horizontal Well Technology" (Austin Chalk, 2317 horizontal wells, 605 MMBOE)](https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/articles/sidewaysindex.php), US Energy Information Administration
21. [Engineering and Technology History Wiki — Horizontal Drilling (history of commercial viability, Austin Chalk, Bakken)](https://ethw.org/Horizontal_Drilling), Engineering and Technology History Wiki (IEEE)
22. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Petroleum Engineers (2012 employment 38,500, projected 26% growth to 2022)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/petroleum-engineers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
23. [SLB — Delfi Cognitive E&P Environment (launched 2017; full-stack AI across exploration, well construction, production optimization)](https://www.slb.com/products-and-services/delivering-digital-at-scale/software/delfi), SLB (Schlumberger)
24. [SPE Journal of Petroleum Technology — "Petroleum Engineers in the Age of AI: Adapt or Become Obsolete?" (2025)](https://jpt.spe.org/twa/petroleum-engineers-in-the-age-of-ai-adapt-or-become-obsolete), Society of Petroleum Engineers
25. [Novi Labs — 2025 State of AI Adoption in Reservoir Engineering (75% using AI for forecasting; 43% to 56% adoption jump in 12 months)](https://novilabs.com/resources/2025-state-of-ai-adoption-in-reservoir-engineering/), Novi Labs
26. [SLB — DrillOps: AI planner achieving fully autonomous drilling operations (2025)](https://www.slb.com/products-and-services/delivering-digital-at-scale/software/delfi/delfi-solutions/drillops), SLB
27. [Baker Hughes — Leucipa Automated Field Production Solution (AI artificial-lift management, documented production uplift)](https://www.bakerhughes.com/oilfield-services-and-equipment-digital/leucipa-automated-field-production-solution), Baker Hughes

### Forecasts and exposure studies

28. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-2171 Petroleum engineers (2025: 18.5 thousand; 2035: 18.8 thousand; +2.0%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2171&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Historical notes

29. [Texas State Historical Association — "Spindletop Oilfield" (January 10, 1901; 100,000 bbl/day gusher, founding of major oil companies)](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/spindletop-oilfield), Texas State Historical Association
30. [SPE History — October 6, 1957: first SPE Board of Directors meeting, Dallas; SPE membership grew from 3,700 (1950) to 12,500 (1957)](https://www.spe.org/en/about/history/), Society of Petroleum Engineers
31. [CNBC — US oil and gas industry employed 860,000 at peak in 1982; 100,000 layoffs in first 5 months of 1986 alone](https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/04/oil-and-gas-job-losses-may-have-gotten-as-bad-as-they-will-get.html), CNBC / BLS
32. [SPE Journal of Petroleum Technology — History Matching of Petroleum Engineering Graduation Rates (1984 peak at 1,587 BS graduates)](https://jpt.spe.org/history-matching-of-petroleum-engineering-graduation-rates), Society of Petroleum Engineers
33. [American Oil and Gas Historical Society — US became world's largest oil producer in 2018; shale revolution responsible for production surge](https://aoghs.org/technology/hydraulic-fracturing/), American Oil and Gas Historical Society

### Predecessors & successors

34. [Wikipedia — Petroleum engineering (profession emerged from mining engineering within AIME, 1914)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_engineering), Wikipedia
35. [SPE History — AIME Petroleum Branch formed 1913; most early members were civil or mechanical engineers who retrained for oil field work](https://www.spe.org/en/about/history/), Society of Petroleum Engineers

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Petroleum Engineers (17-2171.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2171.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Petroleum Engineers (2024–2034, 1% growth, $141,280 median)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/petroleum-engineers.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SPE Journal of Petroleum Technology — Petroleum Engineers in the Age of AI: Adapt or Become Obsolete? (2025)](https://jpt.spe.org/twa/petroleum-engineers-in-the-age-of-ai-adapt-or-become-obsolete), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Novi Labs — 2025 State of AI Adoption in Reservoir Engineering (56% adoption, 80% cycle time reduction)](https://novilabs.com/resources/2025-state-of-ai-adoption-in-reservoir-engineering/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Mordor Intelligence — AI in Oil and Gas Market Report 2025 ($3.79B; upstream 61% of market)](https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/ai-market-in-oil-and-gas), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SLB — Lumi data and AI platform (generative AI across E&P lifecycle, 2025 launch)](https://www.slb.com/products-and-services/delivering-digital-at-scale/software/lumi), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Baker Hughes — Leucipa automated field production solution (AI-powered artificial lift, ESP optimizer, Lucy generative AI assistant)](https://www.bakerhughes.com/oilfield-services-and-equipment-digital/leucipa-automated-field-production-solution), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Ambyint — AI-driven rod lift optimization: up to 7% production increase, up to 30% operating cost reduction, ~250k BOE/d managed](https://www.ambyint.com/case-studies/oil-well-optimization), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Geoteric — AI Seismic Interpretation: up to 90% cycle time reduction, fault detection, facies classification](https://www.geoteric.com/geoteric-ai-seismic-interpretation), accessed 2026-05-24
- [World Oil — PETRONAS signs strategic AI partnership with Geoteric to accelerate hydrocarbon exploration (Sep 2025)](https://worldoil.com/news/2025/9/17/petronas-signs-strategic-ai-partnership-with-geoteric-to-accelerate-hydrocarbon-exploration/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Novi Labs — AI-driven well production forecasting: Forecast Engine overview and methodology](https://novilabs.com/energy-analytics/forecast-engine/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.