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Principal Petroleum Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Wood PLC

CWK Principal Integrity Engineer

Houston, TX · On-site

Wood is presently recruiting a Principal Integrity Engineer to join our team in Houston, TX. This ... Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, Petroleum or related specialty desired; * 25+ years of experience ...

Strata, LLC

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GEOLOGIST / ENGINEER I/II - Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Wichita, KS · On-site

$60K - $80K/yr

Principal duties include use of GIS/Geologic software (ArcGIS/Petra) to develop maps and figures ... Master's degree in Geology, Petroleum Geology, Geologic Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Civil ...

Invenergy, LLC

$150 - $200/hr

Position Overview As a Principal Geothermal Engineer, you will guide and coordinate subsurface ... Bachelor's degree in physics or civil, structural, petroleum, mechanical or chemical engineering ...

Invenergy, LLC

Principal Geothermal Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Position Overview As a Principal Geothermal Engineer, you will guide and coordinate subsurface ... Bachelor's degree in physics or civil, structural, petroleum, mechanical or chemical engineering ...

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Principal Petroleum Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do principal petroleum engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal petroleum engineer in the United States is $147,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a principal petroleum engineer do?

A Principal Petroleum Engineer leads and oversees the development, extraction, and production of oil and gas resources. They are responsible for designing drilling and production strategies, evaluating reservoir performance, and ensuring that operations are safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant. In this senior role, they often manage engineering teams, provide technical guidance, and collaborate with geologists, drilling engineers, and management to optimize resource recovery and profitability.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal petroleum engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Petroleum Engineer, you need advanced knowledge in reservoir engineering, production optimization, and project management, typically supported by a degree in petroleum engineering and extensive industry experience. Mastery of technical tools such as reservoir simulation software (e.g., Petrel, Eclipse), well performance analysis systems, and relevant safety certifications is crucial. Exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills distinguish top performers in guiding multidisciplinary teams and stakeholder engagement. These skills and qualities are vital for making informed decisions that maximize resource recovery, ensure operational efficiency, and drive successful project outcomes.

How does a principal petroleum engineer typically collaborate with multidisciplinary teams during large-scale projects?

A Principal Petroleum Engineer often serves as the technical lead and liaison between geologists, drilling engineers, production teams, and management during complex projects. They coordinate efforts to ensure that reservoir development plans are technically sound and economically viable, often facilitating communication between departments and aligning project goals. This role requires strong leadership and the ability to synthesize diverse technical inputs into actionable strategies, ensuring that teams work cohesively to meet project milestones and regulatory standards.

What cities are hiring for Principal Petroleum Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Principal Petroleum Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Principal Petroleum Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Principal Petroleum Engineer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Principal Petroleum Engineer jobs?

For Principal Petroleum Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Principal Petroleum Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.

Principal Engineer-Completions

Houston, TX • On-site

Viking Recruiting Resources
See more jobs at Viking Recruiting Resourcesexternal

$210K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 17 days ago

Job description

Our client is seeking a full time Principal Engineer (Completions) for their Houston, TX office.

US Citizens only

Salary and full benefits. Salary is DOE and $210K-$250K.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

A SME position, meaning they have the experience and education to lead our geomodelling efforts, setting an optimum standard for analytical quality and workflow. A Completions Engineer is someone who designs, plans and executes the final phase of a well’s construction after the well has been drilled.

  • Develop completion designs, perform completion operations surveillance and completion effectiveness/evaluations.
  • Implement innovative and practical completion solutions to maximize productivity and add value while minimizing cost.
  • Track completions performance / reservoir performance recommend remediation/enhancement as needed. 
  • Perform frac modeling and post treatment analysis.
  • Prepare completion procedures for both vertical and horizontal wells.
  • Design, plan, and execute cost effective completions for new wells. 
  • Identify completion and well servicing equipment needs, participate in equipment and vendor selection and monitoring of selected vendor performance.
  • Work with multi-disciplinary teams to provide completions specifications and design, to optimize asset development plans. 
  • Will work non-traditional hours as needed. 
  • Collaborate with a variety of people with tact, courtesy, and professionalism.  
  • Maintain regular, dependable attendance and a high level of performance. 
  • Maintain a high regard for personal safety, the safety of company assets and employees, and the general public. 
  • Other daily, weekly, monthly, or special projects may be assigned. 

Education requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Engineering is required.
  • Petroleum Engineering degree is preferred. 
  • Master’s / PHD is preferred.

Experience/Specific Knowledge

  • Advanced knowledge and experience of completion engineering fundamentals and offshore well servicing techniques such as slickline, electric line, coiled tubing/nitrogen, HWO operations.
  • Familiarity with hydraulic fracturing, well intervention, tubing design, materials selection, surface and subsurface completion equipment selection, completion fluids, and perforating systems.
  • Knowledge in horizontal and multi-lateral well bore design and well test equipment selection. 
  • Proven record of implementing innovative and practical completion solutions to maximize productivity and add value while minimizing cost.
  • Experience with Carbon Sequestration or CO2 EOR.
  • SLB Petrel familiarity; Kappa familiarity.
  • Experience with Pressure Transient Testing, Nodal Analysis, CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery, Carbon Sequestration.
  • Drilling and/or Production experience is a plus.
  • Intermediate proficiency in MS Office applications that may include but are not limited to Excel, Word, SharePoint, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Certifications, Licenses & Registrations

Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and a driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers (for travel). 
Competencies, Skills & Abilities

  • A minimum of 10 years of experience in Completions Engineering is required.  
  • Must possess a working knowledge of CCS operations, project management and regulatory compliance. 
  • Proficient in basic engineering skills. 
  • Must be self-motivated and ambitious, ability to organize and prioritize daily work with the ability to successfully perform multiple tasks with strict deadlines. 
  • Individual is capable of problem solving autonomously, but is not afraid to ask questions when he/she arrives at a possible solution that deviates from the stated directions 

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