Reply #3: Starting salary for petroleum engineers

[mahatmakanejeeves]

This is why the average starting salary for petroleum engineers is higher than that of any other engineering discipline.

Engineering employment data

As a group, engineers earn some of the highest average starting salaries among those holding bachelor's degrees. Average starting salary offers for graduates of bachelor’s degree programs in engineering, according to a July 2009 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, were as follows:

Petroleum $83,121
Chemical 64,902
Mining and Mineral 64,404
Computer 61,738
Nuclear 61,610
Electrical/electronics and communications 60,125
Mechanical 58,766
Industrial/manufacturing 58,358
Materials 57,349
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical 56,311
Agricultural 54,352
Bioengineering and biomedical 54,158
Civil 52,048

Their average salary is up there too. At the same site, look at "Table 1. Earnings distribution by engineering specialty, May 2008."