Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$101,920

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$75,110 – $139,380

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

23,470

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+5.1%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

1,800

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Bachelor's degree

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth's internal composition, atmospheres, and oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.

Main tasks

• Locate and review research articles or environmental, historical, or technical reports.
• Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities.
• Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application.
• Prepare geological maps, cross-sectional diagrams, charts, or reports concerning mineral extraction, land use, or resource management, using results of fieldwork or laboratory research.
• Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software.
• Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.
• Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos.
• Locate and estimate probable natural gas, oil, or mineral ore deposits or underground water resources, using aerial photographs, charts, or research or survey results.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Bachelor's degree

O*NET Job Zone 4

Considerable preparation

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 12 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Hydrologists

  $96,600 median · +1.5% projected

• Conservation Scientists

  $73,010 median · +5.3% projected

• Soil and Plant Scientists

  $78,850 median · +6.7% projected

• Geographers

  $102,040 median · -2.1% projected

• Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

  $106,220 median · +3.8% projected

• Data Scientists

  $120,230 median · +34.6% projected