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Average Petroleum Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A petroleum engineer in United Kingdom earns about 77,400 GBP a year. That's 11% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 35,400 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 117,100 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, 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 United Kingdom, 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.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a petroleum engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
77,400 GBP
6,450 GBP per month
Lowest reported
35,400 GBP
2,950 GBP per month
Highest reported
117,100 GBP
9,758 GBP per month

A typical petroleum engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 6,450 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 35,400 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 117,100 GBP 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. For a cross-country comparison, see the petroleum engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How petroleum engineer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all petroleum engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 75,800 GBP 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 51,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 100,500 GBP (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 35,400 GBP. The highest stretch to 117,100 GBP, 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.

35,400
Low
75,800
Median
117,100
High
51,800
25th
100,500
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Petroleum engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a petroleum engineer in United Kingdom, 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
    45,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +29% from previous
    58,200 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +34% from previous
    78,200 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +25% from previous
    98,100 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +5% from previous
    102,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    108,200 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 34%. 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 United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving petroleum engineer pay in United Kingdom. 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 United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    55,700 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +60% from previous
    89,300 GBP

Petroleum engineer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male petroleum engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 76,900 GBP a year, while female petroleum engineers earn around 73,500 GBP. That works out to a 5% 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

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 76,900 GBP
Women 73,500 GBP

Pay raises for a petroleum engineer in United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom sees a raise of about 13% every 14 months, which works out to roughly 11% 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 United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

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 United Kingdom

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.

58%

58% of petroleum engineers in United Kingdom 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 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of petroleum engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom is about 7% 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

6%

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

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Petroleum engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

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

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Liverpool
  • London
  • Leicester
  • Edinburgh
  • Cardiff
  • Birmingham
  • Bradford
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion139,100 GBP142,100 GBP67,300-215,100 GBP
ScotlandRegion109,700 GBP116,400 GBP51,100-171,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity88,600 GBP93,100 GBP40,300-139,100 GBP
LondonCity87,700 GBP92,500 GBP38,700-138,700 GBP
LeicesterCity84,900 GBP80,700 GBP45,100-128,200 GBP
EdinburghCity83,700 GBP86,300 GBP36,800-128,400 GBP
CardiffCity83,400 GBP87,700 GBP40,300-128,400 GBP
BirminghamCity83,300 GBP91,700 GBP39,100-130,400 GBP
BradfordCity83,300 GBP77,000 GBP45,000-127,600 GBP
SomersetCity83,200 GBP87,700 GBP41,300-130,500 GBP
BelfastCity81,200 GBP81,300 GBP40,500-125,400 GBP
SheffieldCity80,900 GBP80,500 GBP40,900-123,800 GBP
NewcastleCity80,500 GBP80,400 GBP43,200-128,200 GBP
CoventryCity80,500 GBP80,500 GBP40,200-128,200 GBP
PlymouthCity80,500 GBP80,500 GBP39,700-128,200 GBP
WolverhamptonCity80,300 GBP86,100 GBP38,700-130,500 GBP
BrightonCity80,200 GBP76,900 GBP41,700-121,800 GBP
BristolCity80,000 GBP83,800 GBP38,700-127,700 GBP
ManchesterCity80,000 GBP74,700 GBP43,500-124,500 GBP
GlasgowCity79,500 GBP73,700 GBP45,200-123,000 GBP
LeedsCity79,500 GBP74,100 GBP43,500-123,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity79,000 GBP86,100 GBP38,700-127,700 GBP
SwanseaCity78,500 GBP74,700 GBP40,000-118,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity78,500 GBP84,800 GBP35,600-123,800 GBP
ArmaghCity78,100 GBP76,600 GBP38,700-119,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity76,000 GBP73,100 GBP40,500-114,900 GBP
DundeeCity75,900 GBP78,900 GBP38,100-119,700 GBP
DerbyCity75,800 GBP78,700 GBP35,400-121,800 GBP
NottinghamCity75,800 GBP82,200 GBP35,600-123,000 GBP
OxfordCity75,100 GBP69,700 GBP41,000-114,300 GBP
YorkCity74,300 GBP69,800 GBP40,300-114,300 GBP
ExeterCity74,000 GBP69,100 GBP37,900-111,700 GBP
PooleCity73,800 GBP78,500 GBP36,000-115,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity73,700 GBP80,400 GBP34,000-118,900 GBP
WalesRegion73,700 GBP70,000 GBP36,800-111,700 GBP
CambridgeCity73,500 GBP79,800 GBP35,300-115,600 GBP
HartlepoolCity73,500 GBP72,300 GBP35,500-114,600 GBP
ChesterCity73,300 GBP69,600 GBP36,500-112,700 GBP
DurhamCity73,100 GBP78,100 GBP33,300-114,900 GBP
StirlingCity73,100 GBP75,100 GBP37,200-114,300 GBP
NorwichCity72,700 GBP73,500 GBP35,500-114,600 GBP
AberdeenCity72,400 GBP72,700 GBP36,700-114,900 GBP
NewportCity72,400 GBP79,700 GBP34,000-116,400 GBP
LincolnCity71,400 GBP71,400 GBP34,900-112,700 GBP
GloucesterCity71,200 GBP69,700 GBP36,600-107,700 GBP
AbingdonCity71,100 GBP71,100 GBP34,400-109,700 GBP
DerryCity70,000 GBP72,700 GBP30,300-109,000 GBP
LisburnCity69,400 GBP66,900 GBP36,500-107,700 GBP
SalisburyCity68,900 GBP68,900 GBP33,800-105,800 GBP
BangorCity68,800 GBP68,800 GBP33,000-109,000 GBP
NewryCity68,500 GBP66,400 GBP36,800-109,000 GBP
InvernessCity68,400 GBP67,800 GBP35,300-107,300 GBP
RiponCity68,100 GBP64,600 GBP34,800-105,200 GBP
St DavidsCity67,900 GBP64,300 GBP35,500-103,600 GBP
TruroCity67,800 GBP59,800 GBP36,000-99,700 GBP
WakefieldCity67,400 GBP65,500 GBP33,600-103,600 GBP
WinchesterCity67,200 GBP67,800 GBP31,700-105,800 GBP
CanterburyCity67,200 GBP61,600 GBP34,900-100,700 GBP
StromnessCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP
WellsCity66,900 GBP66,900 GBP35,100-102,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion66,100 GBP61,700 GBP37,100-102,700 GBP
KirkwallCity64,800 GBP64,800 GBP31,700-97,900 GBP
StrontianCity61,700 GBP59,700 GBP32,200-93,600 GBP

Petroleum Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

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

    A petroleum engineer in United Kingdom earns about 6,450 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 77,400 GBP.

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

    Entry-level petroleum engineers in United Kingdom start near 35,400 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 117,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 51,800 and 100,500 GBP.

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

    The median is 75,800 GBP, lower than the average of 77,400 GBP. Half of petroleum engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

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

    Men working as a petroleum engineer in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (76,900 vs 73,500 GBP a year).

  • Do petroleum engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 58% of petroleum engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

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

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a petroleum engineer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

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

    A petroleum engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 14 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.