Civil to Petroleum Engineering

Poll

Best paid field of Engineering is ...

I am going to be doing Civil Engineering BEng this year. But I am interested in most paid field of engineering and someone told me that civil engineering is quite well paid but after looking online and talking to a few people I have found out that petroleum is the paid field of engineering...

So my question is
1, Is Petroleum engineering really the best paid field of engineering?
2, After doing civil engineering is there any way to go into petroleum engineering?

Thanks

Reply 1

Smack

Volunteer Team

You can do an MSc in petroleum engineering.

Or you could apply to the graduate schemes at the large operators, many of which recruit from all engineering disciplines for their petroleum, drilling, wells and reservoir programmes.

Edit: alternatively, you could apply for structural engineering positions at oil companies. They're very well paid. At the moment, structural is in high demand too.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

didgeridoo12uk

don't chase money, do the branch of engineering you're actually interested in. and anyway if you really wanted to chase money properly just go become a banker

(but yes anything with the oil industry is likely to be better paid than a standard Civil eng job)

Reply 3

4RealBlud

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

Just interested in knowing, how well paid are civ engers? and what is the job market like right now for that profession?

Reply 4

didgeridoo12uk

Original post by 4RealBlud

Just interested in knowing, how well paid are civ engers? and what is the job market like right now for that profession?

i'm in my 4th year at uni, so starting to apply...

depending on what part of civil you actually go into it, going by jobs i've looked at pay starts at around 25k, but can vary quite a bit

as to availability of jobs i haven't heard of any of my friends in the year above who failed to get a job, and there are plenty of companies hiring. theres also the option of working in australia/new zealand as they are super short of civils at the moment, not entirely sure what pays like down there as only just started to look into it as a possibility

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

4RealBlud

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

That's probably because theyr cambridge alumni :smile:

, though i hear if you manage to find a job in london you're looking at 60k+, 80k+ if you're an ice member

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 6

didgeridoo12uk

Original post by 4RealBlud

That's probably because theyr cambridge alumni :smile:

, though i hear if you manage to find a job in london you're looking at 60k+, 80k+ if you're an ice member

true, although some of them got fairly rubbish grades, so who knows how they talked themselves out of that... i should probably find out though :/

i doubt you'll find engineering grad schemes that pay that much, if you do TELL ME!!!!! with that sort of salary they must be referring to fairly senior chartered engineers.

Reply 7

4RealBlud

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

oh no theyr not graduate jobs :tongue:

these are just overall estimates: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/consulting_civil_engineer_salary.htm

Reply 8

Dukeofwembley

Original post by vik94

you may risk being unemployed in the future with petroleum engineering due to the cyclical nature of oil price

however you can be a structural engineer and make bank in mining companies

Reply 9

vik94

Original post by Dukeofwembley

you may risk being unemployed in the future with petroleum engineering due to the cyclical nature of oil price

however you can be a structural engineer and make bank in mining companies

do i specifically have to do structural enginnering or is civil enginnering ok?

Reply 10

Dukeofwembley

civil is good,+ you could also work designing oil rigs, but me personally i have had second thoughts of entering the petroleum industry because of the mass layoffs in the mid 80's

if you get fired and cant get rehired for another pet job you are pretty much fked, as you are experienced in one field and other fields would probably take fresh grads then you on.

otherwise look at doing a chem eng msc

Bump

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

Go abroad to Dubai you'll be getting 60k + with an MEng degree

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 13

Jetblast

I'm about to start my first year of Civil engineering. I was going to go for Petroleum engineering, however I decided that with civil, there is many backup options as oppose to pet eng. If I am successful in Civ eng, I'm looking to do a year of pet eng, but i'll still have to see.

Reply 14

adilh301

Original post by Jetblast

thats a common misconception petroleum engineers are frequently hired in accountancy,IT etc.
I'm currently studying petroleum engineering well not started yet starting next week and i too chose it partly for the cash and partly because of the geological aspect. ChemE can get you into more or less the same places as petE though, maybe slightly lower pay/more competition for jobs like resevoir engineering but a much broader discipline.

Reply 15

vik94

Original post by adilh301

how you getting on in petroleum engineering? which uni are you at?

Reply 16

Nemabwem

I do not know what to do chemical, civil, or petroleum engineering just need quick assistance for in early July semester 1 will commence for b- tech first year students. Thanks in advance for those going to help me.