Pipeline Engineer vs Production Engineer

Side-by-side career comparison in oil & gas

	Pipeline Engineer	Production Engineer
Average Salary	$85,932 - $125,040	$148,145 - $181,479
BLS Median	N/A	$130,850 (BLS median)
Open Positions	6	11
Education	B.S. in Mechanical or Civil Engineering	B.S. in Petroleum Engineering or Chemical Engineering
Key Certifications	PE License API 1169 Pipeline Construction Inspector	PE License (recommended) Well Control Certification
Top Skills	excel Project Management Pipeline Design Pipeline Integrity Reliability Engineering Optimization Techniques Oil and Gas Industry Knowledge Facilities Engineering	production optimization artificial lift drilling completions workover excel spotfire
Top Hiring Companies	Gulf Interstate (2) Gulf Companies (1) Crescent Energy (1) TRC Companies, Inc. (1) ONWARD RESOURCES LLC (1)	Crescent Energy (1) Energy Search Associates (1) Mitsubishi Chemical America (1) Nesco Resource, LLC (1) Nesco Resource (1)
Experience Levels	Entry Level: 3, Mid Level: 1, Senior Level: 2	Entry Level: 9, Senior Level: 2
Career Path	Entry Level → Mid Level → Senior → Lead/Principal View full career path →	Entry Level → Mid Level → Senior → Lead/Principal View full career path →

Which Is Right for You?