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Engineering · Petroleum Engineering Rank #18 of 18

Petroleum Engineeringat New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Graduates earn $42,325/yr in their first year — about 34.0% below the national Petroleum Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $488K; scenarios range from $466K to $487K depending on AI disruption.

Socorro, NM Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
42 AVERAGE
43
Optimistic
44
Pessimistic
Earnings
$42,325
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$488K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

The outcomes you're seeing for Petroleum Engineering at NMT reflect significant shifts in the global energy market. The industry is highly cyclical and currently facing substantial headwinds due to evolving energy policies, commodity price volatility, and a broader transition towards renewable sources. While NMT has a historical strength in resource-related fields, the demand for traditional petroleum engineering roles has contracted, making entry-level positions more competitive and often requiring extensive relocation to active drilling regions. Graduates may find themselves competing for fewer roles at major energy companies or needing to pivot into adjacent fields like geological engineering, environmental remediation, or data analytics within the energy sector. Given these dynamics, you'll need to proactively diversify your skillset and network broadly to navigate this challenging landscape successfully.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$466K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score44/100
Earnings Multiple12.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$488K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple13.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$487K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple13.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Petroleum Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Petroleum engineers
+1.3% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$141,280/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Petroleum Engineering

How New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
74
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
25.1x
ROI
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
73
DW Score
$80K
1-yr earn
23.5x
ROI
Colorado School of Mines
CO · Public
67
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
11.5x
ROI
University of North Dakota
ND · Public
71
DW Score
$74K
1-yr earn
20.9x
ROI
Texas A & M University-College Station
TX · Public
71
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
22.9x
ROI
Also at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Other top programs at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Other highest-scoring programs offered at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Petroleum Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Petroleum Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology?

A score of 42/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Petroleum Engineering. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Petroleum Engineering careers?

With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $466,038 in decade earnings vs $487,222 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with Petroleum Engineering from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology?

First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.