H-1B Petroleum Engineer Hiring Shows Strong Texas Focus and Recent Uptick
Explore H-1B visa filings for Petroleum Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $146,578 |
| Salary Range | $76,951 - $300,000 |
| Top Sponsor | EOG Resources, Inc. |
| Primary Location | Texas |
Petroleum Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 18 filings and an average salary of $161,766. H-1B visa sponsorships for Petroleum Engineers are heavily concentrated in Texas, indicating a strong demand in that state. The majority of H-1B petitions for this role were filed for FY2025, suggesting a recent surge in hiring or future planning. The average salary offered to H-1B Petroleum Engineers is competitive, aligning with the higher end of the salary spectrum for the role.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $146,578 |
| Median Salary | $144,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $108,600 |
| 75th Percentile | $176,028 |
| Minimum Salary | $76,951 |
| Maximum Salary | $300,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $98,072 |
| 25th Percentile | $108,600 |
| Median (50th) | $144,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $176,028 |
| 90th Percentile | $204,750 |
| Average | $146,578 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 90 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 10 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| EOG Resources, Inc. | 5 | $138k |
| Liberty Energy Services LLC | 4 | $144k |
| Oil Search (Alaska) LLC | 3 | $207k |
| Gladiator Energy LLC | 3 | $117k |
| ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company | 3 | $169k |
| Chevron USA Inc. | 3 | $149k |
| Occidental Petroleum Corporation | 3 | $155k |
| Upwing Energy, Inc. | 3 | $170k |
| GUNNAR LLLP | 2 | $200k |
| Chevron Corporation | 2 | $191k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 72 |
| California | 7 |
| Colorado | 6 |
| Alaska | 4 |
| Louisiana | 3 |
| New Jersey | 2 |
| Utah | 2 |
| North Dakota | 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
Focus your H-1B job search on Texas and highlight experience relevant to the oil and gas industry, aiming for roles with salaries aligning with the reported averages.
The average H-1B salary for Petroleum Engineers is $161,766, with a median of $156,000. The 25th-75th percentile range is $128,960 to $200,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Petroleum Engineers include Bison Management Services, NDT Global LLC, Bandera Operating Corporation, GUNNAR LLLP, Schlumberger Technology Corporation. A total of 14 employers have filed for this role.
There are 18 H-1B filings on record for Petroleum Engineers positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Petroleum Engineers positions are Texas (13), Colorado (2), California (2), Alaska (1).
Yes, Petroleum Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 18 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Petroleum Engineers salaries range from $89,442 to $300,000. The median salary is $156,000.
The approval rate for Petroleum Engineers H-1B petitions is 100.0%. Texas accounts for 72% of all listed H-1B positions for Petroleum Engineers.
The average salary for H-1B Petroleum Engineers is $161,766, with a median of $156,000.
Focus your H-1B job search on Texas and highlight experience relevant to the oil and gas industry, aiming for roles with salaries aligning with the reported averages.
The highest reported salary for an H-1B Petroleum Engineer is $300,000, while the lowest is $89,442.
The Petroleum Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-217100) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Petroleum Engineers positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Petroleum Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Petroleum Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $146,578, with a range from $76,951 at the entry level to $300,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Texas (72 filings) and California (7 filings).
Career outlook for Petroleum Engineers professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Petroleum Engineers role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Petroleum Engineers roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Petroleum Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $146,578 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 13.4%, with 79% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Petroleum Engineers positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Petroleum Engineers positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Petroleum Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 34 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Petroleum Engineers positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Texas | 38 |
| Spring | Texas | 6 |
| Denver | Colorado | 5 |
| Midland | Texas | 4 |
| HOUSTON | Texas | 4 |
| Bakersfield | California | 3 |
| The Woodlands | Texas | 3 |
| Anchorage | Alaska | 3 |
| Pecos | Texas | 3 |
| Broussard | Louisiana | 2 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Petroleum Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.