💡 Why it matters: Oil and gas still supply much of the world's energy, and the skills of petroleum engineers also move into gas, energy transition and international work.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Oil and gas still earn much of Nigeria's money.
- United States: Jobs for petroleum engineers are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦2.5M – ₦6M
- Mid-career
- ₦7M – ₦16M
- Senior
- ₦16M – ₦40M
≈ ₦583k – ₦1.3M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK profile: Chemical engineer. Starter and experienced salary.. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Plan how to drill wells and recover oil and gas
- Study rock and reservoir data
- Monitor production and fix problems
- Check drilling is safe for people and nature
- Work with geologists and drilling crews
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Maths
- Problem solving
- Safety awareness
- Teamwork
- Data analysis
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Short courses in drilling and well control with industry certificates
- Do SIWES (Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme) with an oil and gas service company
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Graduate scheme with an energy company
- Engineering apprenticeship in the energy sector, then part-time study
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships with oil and gas companies
- Short courses in drilling and well control
🇨🇦 Canada
- Co-op work terms with energy companies
- College diploma in petroleum or engineering technology, then work as a technologist
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Do well in Maths, Physics and Chemistry
- 2Study Petroleum Engineering or a related degree
- 3Do a work placement with an oil and gas service company
- 4Join an operator or service firm, often starting in the field
- 5Grow into reservoir, drilling or production roles
⏰ A day in the life
On an offshore or field site you review today's well data and spot that pressure is dropping. You discuss a fix with the drilling crew, then spend the evening updating a production forecast.