Production Engineer vs Project Manager

Side-by-side career comparison in oil & gas

	Production Engineer	Project Manager
Average Salary	$148,145 - $181,479	$100,205 - $145,269
BLS Median	$130,850 (BLS median)	$101,480 (BLS median)
Open Positions	11	122
Education	B.S. in Petroleum Engineering or Chemical Engineering	B.S. in Engineering or Business; MBA preferred
Key Certifications	PE License (recommended) Well Control Certification	PMP (Project Management Professional) Six Sigma
Top Skills	production optimization artificial lift drilling completions workover excel spotfire	excel Project Management drilling Communication Project management Leadership Time Management Engineering
Top Hiring Companies	Crescent Energy (1) Energy Search Associates (1) Mitsubishi Chemical America (1) Nesco Resource, LLC (1) Nesco Resource (1)	Oceaneering (5) Kiewit (3) Mclaurin Aerospace (2) Tesla (2) James Construction Group, LLC (2)
Experience Levels	Entry Level: 9, Senior Level: 2	Entry Level: 98, Senior Level: 20, Student: 1, Mid Level: 3
Career Path	Entry Level → Mid Level → Senior → Lead/Principal View full career path →	Entry Level → Mid Level → Senior → Lead/Principal View full career path →

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