13. Alaska
IM Score: 23
Annual median wage: $139,110
Cost of living index: 131.6
If you are not afraid of cold, and like big numbers, pack your bags and head to Alaska, which has the biggest concentration of petroleum engineers in the United States. The state offers some of the biggest wages for this occupation in the nation. That would be the list of advantages. Let’s now talk about disadvantages of being petroleum engineer in Alaska. You will face with the highest cost of living index on our list and 5th highest in the country. Also, the number of those employed within the occupation is expected to drop from 450 to 410 by 2024, with 10 average annual job openings. The fact that Alaska with 6.4% unemployment rate, which is second worst in the nation, also doesn’t help much.
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