Petroleum Engineeringat University of Houston
Graduates earn $52,295/yr in their first year — about 18.0% below the national Petroleum Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $840K; scenarios range from $726K to $876K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Houston
First-year earnings of $52,295 place University of Houston below the $64,106 national median for Petroleum Engineering — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.
The 21.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $52,295 far exceeding the $22,233 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #14 out of 18 programs, University of Houston's financial outcomes for Petroleum Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth from $52,295 to $88,652 over five years (70% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Houston's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Petroleum Engineering
How University of Houston stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Houston
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Houston, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Petroleum Engineering at University of Houston
How does University of Houston's Petroleum Engineering program score?
A score of 66/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Houston trails the majority of Petroleum Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Petroleum Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Petroleum Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why are Petroleum Engineering earnings lower at University of Houston?
Lower starting pay at University of Houston may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.