AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-2171.00
Will AI replace Petroleum Engineers?
Petroleum Engineers: AI can already handle 14 of 23 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 23 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Petroleum Engineers, from most to least exposed. 14 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Test machinery and equipment to ensure that it is safe and conforms to performance specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Assign work to staff to obtain maximum utilization of personnel. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Simulate reservoir performance for different recovery techniques, using computer models. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Supervise the removal of drilling equipment, the removal of any waste, and the safe return of land to structural stability when wells or pockets are exhausted. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Conduct engineering research experiments to improve or modify mining and oil machinery and operations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Evaluate findings to develop, design, or test equipment or processes. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Take samples to assess the amount and quality of oil, the depth at which resources lie, and the equipment needed to properly extract them. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design and implement environmental controls on oil and gas operations. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Design or modify mining and oil field machinery and tools, applying engineering principles. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Maintain records of drilling and production operations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect oil and gas wells to determine that installations are completed. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 23 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 23 of 23. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 18,060
- Median annual wage
- $144,910
- Middle half of earners
- $106,270 to $197,920
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure49
- Chemical Engineers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure52
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure35
- Wellhead Pumpers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure15
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure64
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Petroleum Engineers and AI
Will AI replace Petroleum Engineers?
AI already handles 14 of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 61 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.3% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Petroleum Engineers?
61 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 23 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 23 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Petroleum Engineers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production; Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery; Test machinery and equipment to ensure that it is safe and conforms to performance specifications. They are three of the 14 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Petroleum Engineers, and what do they earn?
18,060 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $144,910 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Petroleum Engineers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/petroleum-engineers
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