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Hourly Wage for Petroleum Geologist III Salary in the United States

What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Petroleum Geologist III?

As of October 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Petroleum Geologist III in the United States is $80, which translates to an annual salary of about $165,874.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $104 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69 to $92 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $59 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Petroleum Geologist III Salaries

A Petroleum Geologist III's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Petroleum Geologist III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Petroleum Geologist III's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Petroleum Geologist I (0-2 years): $121,400
  • Petroleum Geologist II (2-4 years): $145,245
  • Petroleum Geologist III (4-7 years): $165,874
  • Petroleum Geologist IV (7+ years): $218,769
  • Petroleum Geologist V (7-10 years): $253,272
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Petroleum Geologist I0-2 years$121,400
Petroleum Geologist II2-4 years$145,245
Petroleum Geologist III4-7 years$165,874
Petroleum Geologist IV7+ years$218,769
Petroleum Geologist V7-10 years$253,272
View as Graph

How Do Petroleum Geologist III Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Petroleum Geologist IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $183,656.
  • California: $182,959.
  • Massachusetts: $180,521.

Top Paying Cities for Petroleum Geologist IIIs

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $209,217
  • San Francisco: $206,926
  • Oakland: $202,565

What Skills Can Increase a Petroleum Geologist III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 20% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 5.71% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
  • Oil and Gas Exploration (Mentioned in 5.71% Job Postings): Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for deposits of hydrocarbons, particularly petroleum and natural gas, in the Earth using petroleum geology.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 20%
Data Analysis 5.71%
Oil and Gas Exploration 5.71%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Petroleum Geologist III's salary.

  • Accounting: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Geology: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Accounting $189,096
14%
Geology $177,485
7%
Written Communication $177,485
7%
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Petroleum Geologist III Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Petroleum Geologist III salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $192,622. While startup companies pay approximate $163,351.

Petroleum Geologist III Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $163,351
Growth Stage 51~500 $172,641
Established 501~5000 $186,077
Enterprise 5000+ $192,622

How Education impacts a Petroleum Geologist III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Petroleum Geologist III enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Petroleum Geologist III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $156,435 and $166,075.

Petroleum Geologist III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Petroleum Geologist III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 100.0%
High School 0.0%
Associates 0.0%
Bachelors 0.0%
Masters 100.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Petroleum Geologist III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Petroleum Geologist III's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$143,583
Average $165,874/year
$191,845
$11,965
Average $13,823/month
$15,987
$2,761
Average $3,190/week
$3,689
$69
Average $80/hour
$92
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $191,845 $15,987 $3,689 $92
Average $165,874 $13,823 $3,190 $80
25th Percentile $143,583 $11,965 $2,761 $69

Most common benefits for Petroleum Geologist III

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Petroleum Geologist III

Here are companies hiring for Petroleum Geologist III and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Petroleum Geologist III

1. What are the responsibilities of Petroleum Geologist III?

Studies and examines variations in rock formations and mineral samples to identify and manage gas and oil deposits. Collects samples and utilizes seismic imaging, geological surveys, and subsurface mapping technologies to survey and assess potential drilling locations. Determines optimal locations for drilling wells, recommends methods for extracting oil and gas, and troubleshoots and resolves problems that arise during drilling operations. Interprets analyses, field tests, and lab results to estimate the quality, size, and depth of carbon deposits. Analyzes the integrity of wells to determine the feasibility of drilling. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Petroleum Geologist III

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.

2.)

Data Analysis: Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.

3.)

Oil and Gas Exploration: Hydrocarbon exploration (or oil and gas exploration) is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for deposits of hydrocarbons, particularly petroleum and natural gas, in the Earth using petroleum geology.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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