Side-by-side distribution
Petroleum Engineer
$98,200
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 10%
- Live roles
- 40
Structural Engineer
$123,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.6%
- Live roles
- 789
Highest-paying jobs
Project Manager II - Structural Engineer Buildings
Resident Structural Engineer (PHX)
Senior Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer II - TS/SCI Clearance
Staff Structural Engineer
Senior Principal Engineer, Structural Engineering
Principal Structural Engineer - Buildings
Project Manager I - Structural Engineer Buildings
Project Manager I - Structural Engineer Buildings
Principal Structural Engineer, Rail + Transit
Senior Structural Engineer, Global Facilities
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Chevron
|
$90,608 | 2 |
Ovintiv
|
$200,000 | 1 |
Residential Home Health and Hospice
|
$88,400 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$123,000 | 39 |
Blue Origin
|
$145,228 | 26 |
| PA Parsons | $121,550 | 25 |
| BO Boeing | $122,000 | 17 |
Barr Engineering
|
$100,000 | 17 |
AtkinsRéalis
|
$120,000 | 12 |
Amentum
|
$108,750 | 12 |
|
HNTB
|
$162,747 | 11 |
Structural Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $185,000 | 7 |
| Austin | $185,000 | 5 |
| New York | $154,300 | 18 |
| Seattle | $145,228 | 38 |
| Los Angeles | $141,526 | 23 |
| Boston | $129,575 | 9 |
| Atlanta | $112,331 | 6 |
| Denver | $111,843 | 18 |
| Chicago | $105,556 | 12 |
| Toronto | $102,500 | 5 |
Petroleum Engineer vs Structural Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Petroleum Engineer is $98,200 per year (typically $84,604–$131,000), versus $123,000 for Structural Engineer ($103,113–$149,725). That puts Structural Engineer about 25% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Petroleum Engineer and Structural Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.