Salary for Geologist Jobs
Updated: 3 Feb 2012
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| National Salary Data ( ?XAll compensation data shown are gross, national 10th to 90th percentile ranges. Pay can vary greatly by location. To view local data, take the PayScale survey. ) | $0 | $32K | $64K | $96K |
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| Salary | $35,929 - $91,558 |
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| Bonus | $491.55 - $15,644 |
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| Profit Sharing | $501 - $11,423 |
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Total Pay (?XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare). ) | $36,013 - $94,404 |
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Country: United States | Currency: USD | Updated: 3 Feb 2012 | Individuals Reporting: 821 |
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Companies and Industries for
Geologist
Jobs
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Popular Employers
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Salary Range
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Popular Industries
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Salary Range
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| Environmental Consulting | $35,213 - $72,741 |
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| Engineering Consulting | $37,952 - $82,436 |
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| Oil & Gas Exploration | $45,146 - $140,297 |
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| Oil & Gas | $41,696 - $116,297 |
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| Gold Mining | $43,021 - $113,601 |
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Key Statistics for
Geologist
Jobs
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Female
28%
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Male
72%
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| Salary: | $43,717 - $63,262 | |
$42,192 - $64,735
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| Bachelor's Degree | $35,332 - $72,584 |
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| Bachelor of Science (BS / BSc), Geology | $35,536 - $78,059 |
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| Master of Science (MS), Geology | $35,521 - $91,483 |
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| Bachelor of Arts (BA), Geology | $29,900 - $68,602 |
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| Doctorate (PhD) | $42,662 - $168,989 |
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Most Common Health Benefits
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Medical:
89% |
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Dental:
73% |
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Vision:
56% |
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None:
10% |
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Career Path for
Geologist
Jobs
Geologist
Salary Range
$36,013 - $94,404
Geologist
Salary Range
$36,013 - $94,404
Salary Map for
Geologist
Jobs
Highest Salaries By City for Geologist Jobs
Top Cities by Popularity for Geologist Jobs
Bakersfield, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$70,000 - $99,863
#1 Highest Paying Location
Houston, Texas (TX)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$46,540 - $153,665
#2 Highest Paying Location
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OK)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$70,750 - $90,545
#3 Highest Paying Location
San Diego, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$58,265 - $89,053
#4 Highest Paying Location
Reno, Nevada (NV)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$60,750 - $73,469
#5 Highest Paying Location
Denver, Colorado (CO)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$32,247 - $105,701
#6 Highest Paying Location
Tucson, Arizona (AZ)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$58,462 - $169,450
#7 Highest Paying Location
Elko, Nevada (NV)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$40,851 - $80,338
#8 Highest Paying Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$15,932 - $95,914
#9 Highest Paying Location
New York, New York (NY)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$54,795 - $64,738
#10 Highest Paying Location
Oakland, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$42,729 - $63,385
#11 Highest Paying Location
San Francisco, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$47,761 - $64,563
#12 Highest Paying Location
Anchorage, Alaska (AK)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$43,250 - $96,509
#13 Highest Paying Location
Los Angeles, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$10,339 - $78,906
#14 Highest Paying Location
Casper, Wyoming (WY)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$52,323 - $60,000
#15 Highest Paying Location
Knoxville, Tennessee (TN)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$44,978 - $62,500
#16 Highest Paying Location
Dallas, Texas (TX)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$30,410 - $138,086
#17 Highest Paying Location
Sacramento, California (CA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$45,613 - $63,187
#18 Highest Paying Location
Austin, Texas (TX)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$37,745 - $69,290
#19 Highest Paying Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota (MN)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$45,850 - $56,000
#20 Highest Paying Location
Houston, Texas (TX)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$46,540 - $153,665
#1 Most Popular Location
Atlanta, Georgia (GA)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$34,722 - $60,819
#2 Most Popular Location
Denver, Colorado (CO)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$32,247 - $105,701
#3 Most Popular Location
Austin, Texas (TX)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$37,745 - $69,290
#4 Most Popular Location
Nashville, Tennessee (TN)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$32,000 - $53,500
#5 Most Popular Location
Tampa, Florida (FL)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$31,614 - $73,404
#6 Most Popular Location
Elko, Nevada (NV)
Geologist
Salary Range:
$40,851 - $80,338
#7 Most Popular Location
Geologist
Job Description
Determine the location and plan the extraction of coal, metallic ores, nonmetallic minerals, and building materials, such as stone and gravel. Work involves conducting preliminary surveys of deposits or undeveloped mines and planning their development; examining deposits or mines to determine whether they can be worked at a profit; making geological and topographical surveys; evolving methods of mining best suited to character, type, and size of deposits; and supervising mining operations.
FAQs on Salaries for
Geologist
Jobs
Researching Geologist Salaries
Pursuing a geology career opens up a vast amount of career choices. A geologist may use his or her expertise to assess the most secure places to build in areas of high volcanic or earthquake activity, work mapping natural gas or oil fields, advise a mining company or environmental engineer, or research past geologic events. It's a diverse field, and for someone with an interest in the Earth's materials, geology provide numerous opportunities to their unique preferences. With so many different career options available, geologist salaries will vary accordingly. If you're considering a geology career, PayScale's geologist salary data can provide valuable insight into the various factors affecting geologist salaries.
Geologist Salaries by Industry
In today's job market, many of the most lucrative careers in geology are in the oil and gas industries; our dependence on these natural fuels means that oil and gas companies are continually on the lookout for new sources. It also means that oil and gas companies can afford to offer highly competitive geologist salaries. Measuring Geologist Salaries by Industry shows that geologist salary is much, much higher in the Oil & Gas and Oil & Gas Exploration industries than in any other industry.
Geologist Salaries and Cost of Living Data
Researching a geologist salary by location corroborates the data on geologist salaries by industry; oil-rich Texas is the place to go for high geologist salaries. Houston is the top city on the Geologist Salaries by City chart and Texas wins overall when measuring Geologist Salaries by State. Houston may offer some of the highest geologist salaries, but how does the city rank in terms of cost of living? Using PayScale's Cost of Living Calculator to find both Cost of Living and Median Geologist Salaries in Houston, we can see that the cost of housing there is 27 percent below the national average. That helps Houston to have a relatively low cost of living overall.
Geologist Salaries: Experience vs. Education
While a geologist may gain the fundamental knowledge required for a career in geology during college, experience offers the best education. The Geologist Salary by Years Experience chart shows that geologist salaries are over twice as high for geologists with 20 years of experience or more compared to those with only 1-4 years under their belts. This also explains why geologists aged 44-65 earn the highest median Geologist Salary by Age. For many geology careers, experience factors much more into a geologist's salary than advanced degree: researching Geologist Salaries by Degree shows that, for those who have earned a Master's degree, geologist salaries aren't that much higher than for those with Bachelor's degrees. However, geologist salaries are not the only motivation for pursuing a career in geology. Earning an advanced degree in geology makes it much easier to get jobs in research or teaching, which are coveted by many geologists.
More Charts for
Geologist
Jobs
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