Petroleum Engineers pay range in Philadelphia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,750 a year or less, while the top 10% make $171,650 or more. The middle half of petroleum engineers in Philadelphia earn between $81,280 and $135,690.
- $81K10th
- $81K25th
- $107KMedian
- $136K75th
- $172K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $117,270 | $9,772 | $56.38 |
| Median | $106,650 | $8,888 | $51.27 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $81,280 | $6,773 | $39.08 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $135,690 | $11,308 | $65.24 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Petroleum Engineers salary after taxes in Philadelphia
On the average salary of $117,270, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $87,729 a year, or $7,311 a month and $3,374 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in PA | $87,729 | $7,311 |
| Working in NJ | $86,049 | $7,171 |
| Working in MD | $85,936 | $7,161 |
| Working in DE | $84,821 | $7,068 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Philadelphia a good place for petroleum engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $117,270 buys what about $114,350 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Petroleum Engineers salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia ranks 2nd of 2 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Pittsburgh pays the most ($134,210).
- Pittsburgh$134,210
- Philadelphia$117,270
Highest-paying cities for petroleum engineers
Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($203,250).
- Anchorage, AK$203,250
- Midland, TX$184,150
- Denver, CO$179,920
- Dallas, TX$178,520
- Houston, TX$177,780
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Petroleum Engineers salary in Philadelphia: questions
How much do petroleum engineers make an hour in Philadelphia?
$56.38 an hour on average, and $51.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level petroleum engineers salary in Philadelphia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,750 a year and the 25th percentile is $81,280, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the petroleum engineers take-home pay in Philadelphia?
About $87,729 a year ($7,311 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $117,270. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do petroleum engineers earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?
The average here is 31% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($169,205).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2171; area Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.25, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.25).
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