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Average Petroleum Engineer Salary in Mexico for 2026

A petroleum engineer in Mexico earns about 417,200 MXN a year. That's 5% roughly in line with the national average of 398,300 MXN.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Mexico sit around 196,800 MXN a year, while the very top stretches to 658,300 MXN. Everything on this page is in Mexican peso (MXN, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Mexico, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

How much does a petroleum engineer make in Mexico?

Average salary
417,200 MXN
34,766 MXN per month
Lowest reported
196,800 MXN
16,400 MXN per month
Highest reported
658,300 MXN
54,858 MXN per month

A typical petroleum engineer working in Mexico brings home around 34,766 MXN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 196,800 MXN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 658,300 MXN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior petroleum engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.

How petroleum engineer pay ranges in Mexico

A good way to think about salary in Mexico is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all petroleum engineers in Mexico earn less than 440,200 MXN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 288,100 MXN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 582,700 MXN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of petroleum engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 196,800 MXN. The highest stretch to 658,300 MXN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

196,800
Low
440,200
Median
658,300
High
288,100
25th
582,700
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in MXN

Petroleum engineer pay by experience in Mexico

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a petroleum engineer in Mexico, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical petroleum engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    225,300 MXN
  • 2-5 Years
    +38% from previous
    311,700 MXN
  • 5-10 Years
    +43% from previous
    445,100 MXN
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    539,700 MXN
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    572,200 MXN
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    619,800 MXN

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 43%. That is the point at which a petroleum engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Petroleum engineer pay by education in Mexico

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving petroleum engineer pay in Mexico. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average petroleum engineer salary in Mexico broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    311,700 MXN
  • Master's Degree
    +84% from previous
    572,200 MXN

Petroleum engineer gender pay gap in Mexico

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Mexico is no exception. Male petroleum engineers in Mexico earn an average of 442,300 MXN a year, while female petroleum engineers earn around 394,500 MXN. That works out to a 12% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Petroleum Engineer gender pay gap

11%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Mexico.

Men 442,300 MXN
Women 394,500 MXN

Pay raises for a petroleum engineer in Mexico

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Mexico sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Mexico, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Mexico:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
    2%
  • Construction
  • Education
    1%

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Petroleum engineer bonus rates in Mexico

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

57%

57% of petroleum engineers in Mexico reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a petroleum engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 43% of petroleum engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Mexico

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Petroleum engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Mexico is about 8% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

8%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Mexico on average.

Public sector 415,900 MXN
Private sector 384,200 MXN

Petroleum engineer salary by city in Mexico

Petroleum engineer pay is not even across Mexico. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Tijuana
  • Leon
  • Guadalajara
  • Mexico City
  • Naucalpan
  • Puebla
  • Hermosillo
  • Nezahualcoyotl
  • Ecatepec de Morelos
  • Aguascalientes
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
TijuanaCity553,400 MXN574,200 MXN266,000-869,400 MXN
LeonCity548,500 MXN535,900 MXN279,400-844,600 MXN
GuadalajaraCity543,200 MXN524,400 MXN282,300-832,300 MXN
Mexico CityCity535,800 MXN566,900 MXN253,400-844,600 MXN
NaucalpanCity529,600 MXN487,600 MXN283,700-799,300 MXN
PueblaCity524,700 MXN524,700 MXN263,100-812,900 MXN
HermosilloCity524,400 MXN553,400 MXN246,200-825,900 MXN
NezahualcoyotlCity522,700 MXN533,100 MXN254,800-814,100 MXN
Ecatepec de MorelosCity516,100 MXN472,100 MXN277,400-778,500 MXN
AguascalientesCity516,100 MXN504,400 MXN263,100-790,600 MXN
ChihuahuaCity516,100 MXN492,700 MXN267,100-788,000 MXN
Tlalnepantla de BazCity514,800 MXN485,300 MXN275,200-783,800 MXN
QueretaroCity514,300 MXN553,400 MXN237,400-816,000 MXN
CancunCity513,300 MXN524,400 MXN249,600-799,300 MXN
MonterreyCity510,200 MXN480,600 MXN272,800-778,200 MXN
CuliacanCity507,300 MXN528,500 MXN243,000-795,700 MXN
GuadalupeCity507,300 MXN528,500 MXN243,000-795,700 MXN
ZapopanCity504,300 MXN535,800 MXN239,000-798,900 MXN
SaltilloCity504,300 MXN466,300 MXN273,300-761,400 MXN
DurangoCity499,300 MXN487,600 MXN252,300-767,400 MXN
MoreliaCity498,500 MXN498,500 MXN247,800-769,500 MXN
San Luis PotosiCity493,000 MXN531,700 MXN228,500-782,500 MXN
TorreonCity492,400 MXN462,300 MXN261,300-746,600 MXN
Tuxtla GutierrezCity491,000 MXN471,700 MXN254,700-748,600 MXN
San Nicolas de los GarzaCity489,500 MXN510,300 MXN233,900-768,900 MXN
ChimalhuacanCity489,500 MXN518,900 MXN231,000-772,900 MXN
MeridaCity487,600 MXN487,600 MXN243,000-757,300 MXN
MexicaliCity487,600 MXN498,500 MXN238,900-759,300 MXN
Ciudad ApodacaCity483,800 MXN444,300 MXN263,200-732,400 MXN
Ciudad Lopez MateosCity480,300 MXN518,900 MXN218,900-765,100 MXN
IrapuatoCity476,600 MXN447,700 MXN252,300-727,400 MXN
AcapulcoCity476,600 MXN459,700 MXN247,800-732,400 MXN
TlaquepaqueCity467,700 MXN459,300 MXN238,900-722,100 MXN
Cuautitlan IzcalliCity467,100 MXN467,100 MXN233,600-727,400 MXN
ReynosaCity466,300 MXN428,400 MXN249,600-701,400 MXN
VeracruzCity464,400 MXN472,000 MXN228,500-722,100 MXN
MazatlanCity462,300 MXN480,600 MXN222,300-724,000 MXN
XalapaCity459,700 MXN437,900 MXN238,900-701,400 MXN
IxtapalucaCity459,700 MXN492,700 MXN209,500-727,100 MXN
XicoCity459,300 MXN487,600 MXN215,100-725,700 MXN
TolucaCity459,300 MXN430,500 MXN243,000-699,700 MXN
Ciudad ObregonCity454,300 MXN462,300 MXN222,300-707,600 MXN
VillahermosaCity453,200 MXN445,100 MXN231,000-696,700 MXN
MatamorosCity451,000 MXN476,600 MXN209,500-712,100 MXN
TepicCity450,300 MXN450,300 MXN225,300-699,700 MXN
Villa Nicolas RomeroCity447,300 MXN466,300 MXN214,000-702,800 MXN
CelayaCity445,100 MXN407,300 MXN239,000-670,600 MXN
Nuevo LaredoCity444,300 MXN480,600 MXN204,000-707,700 MXN
General EscobedoCity442,300 MXN460,500 MXN210,500-695,400 MXN
TonalaCity437,300 MXN437,300 MXN217,900-677,100 MXN
Ciudad Santa CatarinaCity433,800 MXN417,100 MXN228,500-665,300 MXN
CoacalcoCity431,300 MXN407,300 MXN231,000-658,300 MXN
Los MochisCity431,300 MXN398,300 MXN233,600-653,200 MXN
Gomez PalacioCity428,400 MXN460,500 MXN195,200-680,100 MXN
CuernavacaCity426,700 MXN437,300 MXN209,700-665,300 MXN
TehuacanCity424,900 MXN417,200 MXN216,800-653,200 MXN
Ciudad VictoriaCity420,100 MXN414,000 MXN214,000-650,800 MXN
TampicoCity415,900 MXN398,300 MXN215,100-633,300 MXN
PachucaCity414,000 MXN437,300 MXN194,600-650,700 MXN
EnsenadaCity414,000 MXN381,800 MXN221,500-623,700 MXN
La PazCity413,900 MXN436,200 MXN194,600-653,200 MXN
MetepecCity411,400 MXN445,100 MXN190,500-653,200 MXN
Ojo de AguaCity409,000 MXN382,600 MXN216,800-619,800 MXN
OaxacaCity407,300 MXN407,300 MXN205,700-631,200 MXN
UruapanCity407,100 MXN384,200 MXN215,100-619,000 MXN
Soledad de Graciano SanchezCity404,600 MXN389,200 MXN209,500-620,300 MXN
CoatzacoalcosCity404,600 MXN413,900 MXN197,600-631,200 MXN
Los Reyes la PazCity403,100 MXN428,400 MXN190,500-637,500 MXN
MonclovaCity403,100 MXN421,400 MXN191,600-632,400 MXN
San Pablo de las SalinasCity394,800 MXN401,300 MXN191,600-614,600 MXN
AcunaCity394,800 MXN378,300 MXN204,000-602,700 MXN
Cholula de RivadabiaCity394,500 MXN372,600 MXN209,700-602,700 MXN
San Cristobal de las CasasCity394,300 MXN412,000 MXN190,500-620,300 MXN
TapachulaCity385,300 MXN378,800 MXN195,200-596,100 MXN
Puerto VallartaCity385,300 MXN354,000 MXN208,600-582,700 MXN
BuenavistaCity384,500 MXN415,900 MXN176,800-610,100 MXN
CampecheCity384,200 MXN384,200 MXN192,000-592,200 MXN
ChicoloapanCity378,800 MXN378,800 MXN190,500-587,800 MXN
ChilpancingoCity378,300 MXN394,800 MXN181,600-592,600 MXN
ChalcoCity377,200 MXN361,500 MXN196,800-576,500 MXN
NogalesCity377,200 MXN382,600 MXN185,100-588,500 MXN
ChetumalCity375,200 MXN366,200 MXN192,000-574,200 MXN
JiutepecCity367,900 MXN388,100 MXN172,400-580,600 MXN
Ciudad JuarezCity365,400 MXN392,300 MXN168,100-578,500 MXN
Playa del CarmenCity363,000 MXN371,100 MXN180,300-566,900 MXN
Ciudad del CarmenCity362,200 MXN353,600 MXN185,100-556,000 MXN
Piedras NegrasCity361,600 MXN389,200 MXN164,200-571,300 MXN
Poza RicaCity361,600 MXN344,600 MXN187,300-551,200 MXN
SalamancaCity359,900 MXN359,900 MXN180,500-556,000 MXN
San Juan del RioCity357,700 MXN335,800 MXN190,500-543,200 MXN
San Luis Rio ColoradoCity354,000 MXN332,100 MXN189,300-538,600 MXN
Zamora de HidalgoCity351,200 MXN325,600 MXN192,000-531,700 MXN
CordobaCity349,300 MXN354,000 MXN172,200-544,800 MXN
CuautlaCity341,400 MXN315,700 MXN185,100-514,800 MXN
FresnilloCity341,400 MXN361,500 MXN159,500-538,600 MXN
Boca del RioCity340,400 MXN361,600 MXN159,400-537,300 MXN
ZacatecasCity340,400 MXN353,600 MXN161,600-535,800 MXN
ManzanilloCity339,100 MXN312,400 MXN183,600-510,300 MXN
NavojoaCity332,100 MXN361,600 MXN152,300-529,600 MXN
ColimaCity330,900 MXN330,900 MXN164,200-514,300 MXN
DeliciasCity330,700 MXN341,900 MXN159,100-518,300 MXN
Ciudad VallesCity327,300 MXN335,100 MXN159,500-513,300 MXN
OrizabaCity327,300 MXN320,500 MXN167,100-504,500 MXN
MinatitlanCity327,300 MXN327,300 MXN163,800-510,300 MXN
GuaymasCity325,900 MXN307,400 MXN172,400-496,100 MXN
San Pedro Garza GarciaCity319,600 MXN344,600 MXN148,300-510,000 MXN
IgualaCity315,900 MXN305,600 MXN163,800-485,300 MXN
Hidalgo del ParralCity308,300 MXN301,700 MXN159,100-476,600 MXN

Petroleum Engineer in Mexico: FAQs

  • How much does a petroleum engineer make per month in Mexico?

    A petroleum engineer in Mexico earns about 34,766 MXN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 417,200 MXN.

  • What's the salary range for a petroleum engineer in Mexico?

    Entry-level petroleum engineers in Mexico start near 196,800 MXN. Top-end pay reaches around 658,300 MXN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 288,100 and 582,700 MXN.

  • Is the median petroleum engineer salary in Mexico higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 440,200 MXN, higher than the average of 417,200 MXN. Half of petroleum engineers in Mexico earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for petroleum engineers in Mexico?

    Men working as a petroleum engineer in Mexico earn around 12% more than women on average (442,300 vs 394,500 MXN a year).

  • Do petroleum engineers in Mexico get bonuses?

    About 57% of petroleum engineers in Mexico reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do petroleum engineers earn more in the public or private sector in Mexico?

    In Mexico, the public sector pays a petroleum engineer about 8% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do petroleum engineers in Mexico get a pay raise?

    A petroleum engineer in Mexico sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.