# Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

SOC 19-2042. Page: https://educationguide.com/careers/geoscientists-except-hydrologists-and-geographers

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.

## Pay and outlook
- U.S. median wage $101,920 (middle half $75,110–$139,380; BLS May 2025)
- Jobs 2025-35: 5.1%; ~1.8k openings a year; typical entry: Bachelor's degree

## Fields of degree of young workers (ages 25-34, bachelor's+)

## Median wage by state
- AK: $107,410
- AL: $88,610
- AR: $67,880
- AZ: $85,190
- CA: $106,500
- CO: $114,410
- CT: $61,810
- DE: $93,640
- FL: $95,140
- GA: $73,920
- HI: $106,270
- IA: $74,460
- ID: $91,170
- IL: $96,950
- IN: $68,240
- KS: $80,080
- KY: $77,510
- LA: $91,560
- MA: $108,210
- MD: $110,510
- ME: $86,840
- MI: $80,990
- MN: $80,540
- MO: $83,390
- MS: $112,400
- MT: $75,520
- NC: $95,260
- ND: $84,070
- NE: $85,550
- NH: $101,150
- NJ: $88,500
- NM: $88,530
- NV: $99,890
- NY: $86,410
- OH: $81,220
- OK: $119,990
- OR: $98,110
- PA: $84,180
- RI: $121,010
- SC: $86,070
- SD: $71,150
- TN: $77,870
- TX: $145,220
- UT: $89,990
- VA: $88,390
- VT: $87,070
- WA: $105,020
- WI: $78,610
- WV: $76,060
- WY: $74,910

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#careers

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).
