Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Average Salary Of A Petroleum Engineer And Factors That Affect It

As the cost of petroleum rises, the cost of every commodity gets higher also. It is because petroleum plays a huge role in everybody's life. It's traditionally used in daily activities by the most complex enterprises down to basic household tasks. It is used for cooking, making pharaceutical medications, cosmetics and beauty products, fueling vehicles and factories, and much more. It's the source of power for almost all market sectors.

This is the power of petroleum, and petroleum engineers earn substantial salaries for their hard work and determination in delivering energy for the world. What kind of compensation do petroleum engineers receive? And exactly what does it take to become one?

The Distinctions And Fluctuations Of A Petroleum Engineer's Salary

Similar to how petroleum prices fluctuate on account of economic components, petroleum engineers' income varies according to various variables also. Work expertise and field of expertise are major factors to consider when examining a petroleum engineer's income level. A newly graduated petroleum engineer could begin a career making $65,000 or higher. As their years of training increase, their salary increases also. An engineer having a master's degree in petroleum geology can earn $76,000 to $144,000. While a bachelor's degree would be around $60,000 to $120,000.

Work experience can also increase your salary as well. Someone who's just beginning might earn around $65,000 whereas people with 1 - 4 years of work knowledge could make $72,000 - $94,000. Individuals with 5 - 9 years of experience generally make $80,000 - $124,000. And engineers with 10 - 20 years of practical experience should expect to earn in excess of $185,000.

Varying Incomes For Various Types Of Petroleum Engineering

The average salary of petroleum engineers ranging from $60,000 to as much as $300,000 is because the type of their work defines their value.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor describes a petroleum engineer as one who designs methods and strategies for oil and gas extraction from deposits below the earth. They work with geologists and other specialists in order to understand the geological formation of rocks and properties of oil reservoirs. Upon establishing the understanding of rock formation and reservoir location, petroleum engineers will determine the proper drilling method to conduct actual extraction of oil and gas. Once a method is settled upon, they are responsible for monitoring the production operations of the oil and gas extraction.

Since the extraction of oil and gas counters the earth?s gravitational pull, engineers devise mechanisms that enhance the extraction efficiency, such as the injecting water, chemicals, gas or steam into the oil reservoir to increase pressure and oil flow. Additionally they design modern mechanisms that are governed by advanced computer technology and perform research studies that assist in making oil and gas extraction more effective.

Doing work in The Field Or In the Office Affects Income Also

As you can tell, the job of a petroleum engineer is extremely technical yet also requires manual and concerted insight, which is one reason petroleum engineers make substantial earnings. But pay is not equal for every petroleum engineer title holder. Engineers who work in the field get higher salaries than those who work in an office. Once they work in the field, petroleum engineers need not just the technological expertise in oil extraction, but must also have employee management techniques in order to manage contract and development personnel.

If you have solid math and management techniques and would like to get into a high paying and thrilling sector, consider being a petroleum engineer.