Average Petroleum Geologist Salary in Cambodia for 2026
A petroleum geologist in Cambodia earns about 64,560,300 KHR a year. That's 63% above the national average of 39,718,900 KHR.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Cambodia sit around 29,641,500 KHR a year, while the very top stretches to 102,599,200 KHR. Everything on this page is in Cambodian riel (KHR, 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 Cambodia, 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 geologist make in Cambodia?
A typical petroleum geologist working in Cambodia brings home around 5,380,025 KHR a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 29,641,500 KHR, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 102,599,200 KHR 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 geologist 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 geologist pay ranges in Cambodia
A good way to think about salary in Cambodia is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all petroleum geologists in Cambodia earn less than 69,721,100 KHR 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 44,760,700 KHR (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 93,118,500 KHR (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of petroleum geologists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 29,641,500 KHR. The highest stretch to 102,599,200 KHR, 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.
Petroleum geologist pay by experience in Cambodia
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a petroleum geologist in Cambodia, 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 geologist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years33,721,200 KHR
- 2-5 Years+33% from previous44,998,200 KHR
- 5-10 Years+48% from previous66,481,700 KHR
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous81,119,300 KHR
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous88,440,900 KHR
- 20+ Years+8% from previous95,759,900 KHR
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a petroleum geologist 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 geologist pay by education in Cambodia
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving petroleum geologist pay in Cambodia. 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 geologist salary in Cambodia broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree38,399,900 KHR
- Master's Degree+57% from previous60,361,600 KHR
- PhD+68% from previous101,160,500 KHR
Petroleum geologist gender pay gap in Cambodia
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Cambodia is no exception. Male petroleum geologists in Cambodia earn an average of 69,359,500 KHR a year, while female petroleum geologists earn around 59,758,700 KHR. That works out to a 16% 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 Geologist gender pay gap
14%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Cambodia.
Pay raises for a petroleum geologist in Cambodia
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 Cambodia sees a raise of about 10% every 28 months, which works out to roughly 4% 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 Cambodia, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Cambodia:
- 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 Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Petroleum geologist bonus rates in Cambodia
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.
43% of petroleum geologists in Cambodia reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a petroleum geologist a low-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 57% of petroleum geologists reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Cambodia
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 geologist: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Cambodia is about 25% 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
20%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Cambodia on average.
Petroleum geologist salary by city in Cambodia
Petroleum geologist pay is not even across Cambodia. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Phnom Penh
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phnom Penh | City | 74,161,900 KHR | 80,040,700 KHR | 34,078,800-117,841,300 KHR |
Petroleum Geologist in Cambodia: FAQs
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How much does a petroleum geologist make per month in Cambodia?
A petroleum geologist in Cambodia earns about 5,380,025 KHR a month before tax, based on an annual average of 64,560,300 KHR.
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What's the salary range for a petroleum geologist in Cambodia?
Entry-level petroleum geologists in Cambodia start near 29,641,500 KHR. Top-end pay reaches around 102,599,200 KHR. The middle 50% of earners sit between 44,760,700 and 93,118,500 KHR.
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Is the median petroleum geologist salary in Cambodia higher or lower than the average?
The median is 69,721,100 KHR, higher than the average of 64,560,300 KHR. Half of petroleum geologists in Cambodia earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for petroleum geologists in Cambodia?
Men working as a petroleum geologist in Cambodia earn around 16% more than women on average (69,359,500 vs 59,758,700 KHR a year).
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Do petroleum geologists in Cambodia get bonuses?
About 43% of petroleum geologists in Cambodia reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.
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Do petroleum geologists earn more in the public or private sector in Cambodia?
In Cambodia, the public sector pays a petroleum geologist about 25% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do petroleum geologists in Cambodia get a pay raise?
A petroleum geologist in Cambodia sees a raise of around 10% every 28 months, equivalent to roughly 4% a year.