Twice a year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles occupational employment and wage estimates by surveying employers nationwide. Current data was released May 1, 2009.
Estimates for "Petroleum engineers" are below, ordered by total employment.
| Area | Total employment | Mean hourly wage | Mean annual wage |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 70 | $50.68 | $105,410 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 6,790 | $65.41 | $136,060 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,110 | $56.63 | $117,780 |
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 970 | $47.38 | $98,560 |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | 700 | $72.23 | $150,240 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 680 | $49.63 | $103,240 |
| Anchorage, AK | 590 | $80.81 | $168,080 |
| Tulsa, OK | 580 | $53.96 | $112,240 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 560 | $56.56 | $117,650 |
| Midland, TX | 430 | $58.63 | $121,940 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 370 | $63.50 | $132,080 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 360 | $58.45 | $121,570 |
| Lafayette, LA | 340 | $46.97 | $97,700 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 300 | $67.31 | $140,000 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 290 | $67.68 | $140,780 |
| Casper, WY | 270 | $53.35 | $110,970 |
| Odessa, TX | 220 | $39.83 | $82,840 |
| Longview, TX | 200 | $31.91 | $66,370 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 170 | $46.61 | $96,950 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 150 | $57.88 | $120,380 |
| Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division | 110 | $61.77 | $128,490 |
| Farmington, NM | 100 | $53.37 | $111,000 |
| Richmond, VA | 90 | $53.10 | $110,450 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 70 | $50.68 | $105,410 |
| Charleston, WV | 50 | $51.54 | $107,200 |
| Greeley, CO | 50 | $50.61 | $105,270 |
| Victoria, TX | 40 | $55.74 | $115,950 |
| Wichita, KS | 40 | $48.33 | $100,530 |
| Billings, MT | 30 | $41.59 | $86,500 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 30 | $45.16 | $93,920 |
| Columbus, OH | Not available | $41.66 | $86,650 |
| San Antonio, TX | Not available | $49.69 | $103,360 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division | Not available | $41.65 | $86,640 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | Not available | $27.19 | $56,560 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | Not available | $49.79 | $103,560 |
| Amarillo, TX | Not available | $34.59 | $71,940 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | Not available | $44.25 | $92,040 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | Not available | $59.41 | $123,560 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | Not available | $70.45 | $146,540 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | Not available | $52.55 | $109,310 |
| El Paso, TX | Not available | $55.22 | $114,850 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division | Not available | $56.69 | $117,920 |
| New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA | Not available | $47.85 | $99,530 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI | Not available | $43.24 | $89,950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA | Not available | $53.02 | $110,280 |
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