Petroleum Engineers: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Petroleum Engineers (SOC 17-2171), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $90,355 in Longview, TX to $174,554 in Anchorage, AK among the 55 areas with the most jobs in the occupation (Department of Labor wage file for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, read on 7 November 2026). Level II gives 2 lottery entries, Level IV gives 4.
US mean wage (OEWS May 2025): $157,150
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Not legal or immigration advice. This page reports the Department of Labor wage file and the DHS rule as we read them. The level on a registration also depends on the job duties, the SOC code and the place of work chosen for the job, and the employer attests to it. Check with USCIS and the Department of Labor, and ask an immigration lawyer about your own case.
Wage levels in the 55 areas with the most jobs
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 4,770 | $103,043 | $140,234 | $177,403 | $214,594 | 1 |
| Midland, TX | 940 | $107,453 | $145,621 | $183,768 | $221,936 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 910 | $118,726 | $148,470 | $178,235 | $207,979 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 900 | $109,866 | $144,726 | $179,566 | $214,427 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 700 | $113,277 | $145,059 | $176,821 | $208,603 | 1 |
| Tulsa, OK | 370 | $99,944 | $119,454 | $138,944 | $158,454 | 1 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 350 | $100,256 | $133,765 | $167,253 | $200,762 | 2 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 330 | $121,514 | $141,482 | $161,450 | $181,418 | 1 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 320 | $93,226 | $123,386 | $153,546 | $183,706 | 1 |
| Greeley, CO | 300 | $87,277 | $116,334 | $145,413 | $174,470 | 1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 240 | $84,573 | $107,141 | $129,688 | $152,256 | 1 |
| Odessa, TX | 220 | $85,176 | $116,002 | $146,806 | $177,632 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 210 | $82,326 | $108,139 | $133,952 | $159,765 | 1 |
| Anchorage, AK | 200 | $146,141 | $174,554 | $202,966 | $231,379 | 1 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 200 | $82,389 | $95,763 | $109,117 | $122,491 | 1 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 160 | $75,130 | $106,080 | $137,010 | $167,960 | 1 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 160 | $101,504 | $119,891 | $138,299 | $156,686 | 1 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 160 | $78,499 | $101,525 | $124,550 | $147,576 | 1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 150 | $118,830 | $144,539 | $170,269 | $195,978 | 1 |
| Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 140 | $97,656 | $129,293 | $160,950 | $192,587 | 2 |
| Longview, TX | 130 | $65,083 | $90,355 | $115,606 | $140,878 | 1 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 130 | $69,243 | $95,867 | $122,491 | $149,115 | 1 |
| High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | 120 | $112,819 | $149,594 | $186,368 | $223,142 | 1 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 110 | $110,614 | $136,282 | $161,928 | $187,595 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 110 | $102,939 | $130,645 | $158,330 | $186,035 | 1 |
| Lubbock, TX | 100 | $83,325 | $120,578 | $157,851 | $195,104 | 1 |
| Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 100 | $90,688 | $122,408 | $154,128 | $185,848 | 1 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 90 | $125,736 | $143,416 | $161,096 | $178,776 | 1 |
| West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 90 | $90,792 | $113,152 | $135,491 | $157,851 | 1 |
| Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 90 | $97,427 | $112,070 | $126,714 | $141,357 | 1 |
| Casper, WY | 80 | $95,846 | $115,294 | $134,763 | $154,211 | 1 |
| Charleston, WV | 80 | $79,539 | $95,930 | $112,320 | $128,710 | 1 |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 80 | $136,178 | $165,256 | $194,334 | $223,413 | 1 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 80 | $81,037 | $99,070 | $117,083 | $135,117 | 1 |
| Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 80 | $88,920 | $109,491 | $130,062 | $150,634 | 1 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 70 | $80,870 | $114,941 | $149,032 | $183,102 | 2 |
| Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 70 | $76,544 | $101,483 | $126,443 | $151,382 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 70 | $138,715 | $153,483 | $168,251 | $183,019 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 60 | $81,078 | $94,827 | $108,597 | $122,346 | 1 |
| Tyler, TX | 60 | $95,181 | $119,558 | $143,936 | $168,314 | 1 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | $79,040 | $106,038 | $133,037 | $160,035 | 1 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 50 | $81,640 | $116,314 | $150,987 | $185,661 | 1 |
| Lafayette, LA | 50 | $59,197 | $92,518 | $125,861 | $159,182 | 2 |
| Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 50 | $105,976 | $133,765 | $161,533 | $189,322 | 2 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 50 | $130,749 | $146,682 | $162,614 | $178,547 | 1 |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 40 | $79,082 | $95,784 | $112,507 | $129,210 | 1 |
| El Paso, TX | 40 | $112,715 | $126,214 | $139,693 | $153,192 | 1 |
| Ogden, UT | 40 | $103,355 | $125,216 | $147,098 | $168,958 | 1 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 40 | $109,720 | $136,136 | $162,531 | $188,947 | 1 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 40 | $89,877 | $109,221 | $128,586 | $147,930 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 40 | $127,650 | $139,277 | $150,883 | $162,510 | 1 |
| Wichita, KS | 40 | $80,517 | $117,125 | $153,733 | $190,341 | 1 |
| Farmington, NM | 30 | $82,098 | $101,046 | $119,974 | $138,923 | 1 |
| South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | 30 | $90,646 | $109,886 | $129,126 | $148,366 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 30 | $91,312 | $124,072 | $156,832 | $189,592 | 4 |
Yearly salary from which each level starts. Jobs: people employed in the occupation in the area (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Geo level 1 = wage computed from the area itself; 2 = area plus contiguous areas; 3 = statewide; 4 = national (OFLC). Tap a column heading to sort.
The US mean wage for petroleum engineers is $157,150 (median $144,910). In 2 of these 55 areas Level II starts above the US mean.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Lottery entries
Level I = 1 entry, Level II = 2, Level III = 3, Level IV = 4 (90 FR 60864). DHS estimated a 15.29% chance at Level I and 61.16% at Level IV for its assumed pool: how the odds work.
Questions people ask
What are the H-1B wage level salary ranges for petroleum engineers?
They depend on the area. Among the 55 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $59,197 and $146,141 a year, and Level IV between $122,346 and $231,379.
What is the H-1B Level II salary for petroleum engineers?
From $90,355 in Longview, TX to $174,554 in Anchorage, AK among the main areas; in 2 of the 55 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($157,150).
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