Average total pay: $173,057
For: Engineer*Best Companies rank: 48
Devon Energy catapulted itself into the nation's fourth largest natural gas producer and the eighth largest oil producer through a series of acquisitions: PennzEnergy in 1999, Santa Fe Snyder in 2000, Anderson Exploration in 2001, Mitchell Energy in 2002 and Ocean Energy in 2003. Over that same period, employee population ballooned from 764 to more than 5,000 worldwide.
Employee growth hasn't diluted the pay. Devon loves to give big bonuses. The average bonus in 2006 was $21,332. The company also awards a holiday bonus of $600 for every employee, regardless of position.
Last updated January 22 2008: 3:23 PM ET
