Petroleum Engineering federal salary series 0881
Full-time federal employees in the Petroleum Engineering series earned a median of $139,116 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 27% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $116,990 and $159,559.
What shapes petroleum engineering pay
The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (110 employees, median $143,208). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (272 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
Petroleum Engineering pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| GS-12 | 76 | $113,549 |
| GS-13 | 110 | $143,208 |
| GS-14 | 58 | $173,383 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Petroleum Engineering pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | 272 | $139,116 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Petroleum Engineering pay by state
The 1 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 141 | $147,300 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +1.0% from $137,739 in September 2025 to $139,116 in September 2026. Headcount went from 317 to 282 (−11.0%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.
Related occupations in Engineering and Architecture Group
- General Engineering (0801)$156,699
- Engineering Technical (0802)$89,618
- Mechanical Engineering (0830)$128,572
- Electronics Engineering (0855)$156,879
- Civil Engineering (0810)$122,345
- Aerospace Engineering (0861)$155,484
- Electronics Technical (0856)$97,087
- Electrical Engineering (0850)$139,398