| It’s an exciting time to be a geologist, with both high demand for trained geologists and high salaries. Since 2000, the number of geology jobs has grown by 44 percent (compared to the mere 3.6 percent growth in the general U.S. workforce) and the mean annual salary for geologists has increased 35 percent, from $62,420 in 2000 to $84,100 in 2007. In 2007, geologists earned the highest salaries in Texas ($108,580), Washington, D.C. ($104,010), Louisiana ($95,610), Colorado ($91,550), and Hawaii ($85,340).
The boom in the oil and gas industry and the expansion of the management, scientific and technical consulting sector – which includes jobs in technical and scientific consulting to government organizations and private companies pertaining to a variety of environmental issues – are largely responsible for the increased demand for geologists. These industries have consistently employed more than three-quarters of the geology workforce since 2002, along with federal and state government. Due to sharp increases in profits in recent years, geologists in the oil and gas extraction industry can expect to be well paid: The industry paid geoscientists the highest mean annual salaries ($119,430) in 2007, followed closely by the management, scientific and technical consulting industry ($107,160). Working for the federal government ($88,820) pays off more than working for the states ($55,390), where geologists receive salaries that dip 66 percent below the mean annual salary for geologists. The lower salaries in the federal and state governments reflect budget constraints and outsourcing to consulting firms.
Geologists will continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be 22 percent more jobs for geologists in 2016 than there were in 2006, slightly more than twice the expected growth for all occupations, and 6 percent more than all other physical science careers. Most growth will be in the professional, scientific and technical services industry, which is expected to increase by 45 percent. Geologist jobs in other fields are expected to grow as well, although by less. Jobs at colleges and universities should increase by 12 percent, while jobs in the oil and gas extraction industry are expected to increase by 8 percent. Meanwhile, in the federal and state government sectors and the mining/oil and gas support industry, jobs are expected to decrease slightly.
In the current economy, geologists with master’s degrees will have the best job opportunities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “2008-2009 Occuptational Outlook Handbook.” That’s because geologists with doctoral degrees will most likely encounter competition as they apply for basic research and university positions, and those holding bachelor’s degrees in geology will have better opportunities in related occupations such as high school teachers or science technicians.
Gonzales heads the Geoscience Workforce Data Collection and Analysis effort for the American Geological Institute’s Geoscience Workforce Program. |
