Develop methods to extract oil and gas from below the Earth's surface. Median salary in San Antonio: $145K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in San Antonio, Texas. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Adjusted for San Antonio's cost-of-living index (87), the median Petroleum Engineer salary buys the equivalent of $166,667 in a US-average-cost city. That's $21,667 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Texas has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $13,485 per year at this salary level compared to a California Petroleum Engineer on the same gross pay. A San Antonio Petroleum Engineer would need to earn $159,868 in California to net the same take-home.
Only 15% of Petroleum Engineer positions offer remote flexibility, meaning the San Antonio salary above represents what local employers actually pay — not a remote-anywhere rate. Geographic constraints reinforce the local market, so the salary range above is more directly applicable than for remote-friendly roles.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $152K by 2030.
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The median Petroleum Engineer salary in San Antonio, TX is $145,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the San Antonio–TX metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Petroleum Engineers in San Antonio with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $110,000 and $145,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $145,000 to $188,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $188,000 to $240,000 or more.
San Antonio has a cost of living index of 87 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 13% further in San Antonio than the national average. Crucially, Texas has no state income tax — giving San Antonio-based Petroleum Engineers an immediate 5–7% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Bachelor's in Petroleum Engineering. 15% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.