Petroleum Engineers build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and systems evaluation skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Water Resource Specialists (81%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Resource Specialists | 81% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 81% | $171,270Pay for the broader BLS group “Architectural and Engineering Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | 77% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Materials Scientists | 72% | $117,790 | −19% | None |
| 5 | Geothermal Production Managers | 72% | $126,060Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Production Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Medical Dosimetrists | 71% | $147,470 | +2% | None |
| 7 | Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists | 70% | $122,570Pay for the broader BLS group “Physical Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Database Architects | 69% | $139,500 | −4% | None |
| 9 | Information Security Analysts | 69% | $129,180 | −11% | None |
| 10 | Telecommunications Engineering Specialists | 68% | $134,050Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Network Architects” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Petroleum Engineers, median $144,910. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as petroleum engineers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
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A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
81% skill match · $167,220 (broader BLS group)
Operations Analysis · Quality Control Analysis · Time Management
81% skill match · $171,270 (broader BLS group)
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Quality Control Analysis
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
77% skill match · $141,900 (broader BLS group)
Operations Analysis · Negotiation · Management of Financial Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Water Resource Specialists (81% skill match, median $167,220), Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (81% skill match, median $171,270) and Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (77% skill match, median $141,900), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 4 pay more than petroleum engineers at the median. The biggest increases: Computer and Information Systems Managers (+21%, $175,140), Physicists (+19%, $172,250) and Architectural and Engineering Managers (+18%, $171,270).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 4 usually need a graduate degree: Astronomers, Computer and Information Research Scientists and Physicists.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.