SOC 17-2171 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro

Petroleum Engineers Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary for petroleum engineers in Seattle, Washington is $151,000 a year ($72.60 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $134,800: half of the 40 people in this job in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($169,205).

$151,000average per year

$72.60 / hourMedian $134,800Take-home ≈ $114,474

  • $130K10th
  • $135K25th
  • $135KMedian
  • $184K75th
  • $184K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-11%vs U.S. metro average
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Petroleum Engineers pay range in Seattle

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $129,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $184,360 or more. The middle half of petroleum engineers in Seattle earn between $134,800 and $184,360.

  • $130K10th
  • $135K25th
  • $135KMedian
  • $184K75th
  • $184K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$151,000$12,583$72.60
Median$134,800$11,233$64.81
Entry level (25th percentile)$134,800$11,233$64.81
Experienced (75th percentile)$184,360$15,363$88.63

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Petroleum Engineers salary after taxes in Seattle

On the average salary of $151,000, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $114,474 a year, or $9,540 a month and $4,403 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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Is Seattle a good place for petroleum engineers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $151,000 buys what about $135,873 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $151,000 is worth in another city

Petroleum Engineers salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for petroleum engineers

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($203,250).

Petroleum Engineers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Petroleum Engineers in Seattle, WA.

Petroleum Engineers salary in Seattle: questions

How much do petroleum engineers make an hour in Seattle?

$72.60 an hour on average, and $64.81 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level petroleum engineers salary in Seattle?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $129,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $134,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the petroleum engineers take-home pay in Seattle?

About $114,474 a year ($9,540 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $151,000. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Do petroleum engineers earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
  • 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 no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.18, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.18).

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