Annual Salary, Salary Range, and Highest Paying States and Industries
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Geoscientists
Geoscientists 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.
Table of contents
- Average salary
- Starting salary
- Salary rank
- Salary range
- Highest paying states
- Highest paying industries
Average salary
Starting salary
Entry-level Geoscientists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $51,890 to $66,500 per year or $25 to $32 per hour. Similar to any other job, their salary will increase as they gain experience.
Salary rank
We wanted to make it easy for our readers to compare the salary of Geoscientists to all the other careers out there. So we created Salary Rank. We compared the salary of all careers then we gave them a rank of A, B, C, or D depending on where their average salary sit in comparison to other careers.
Salary range
| Level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $97 | $201,150 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $65 | $136,020 |
| Middle (Mid 50%) | $45 | $93,580 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $32 | $66,500 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $25 | $51,890 |
Highest paying states
| State | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| TX | $80 | $166,720 |
| OK | $72 | $149,630 |
| PA | $58 | $120,590 |
| HI | $58 | $120,130 |
| CO | $52 | $107,260 |
| MA | $49 | $102,600 |
| LA | $49 | $101,450 |
| AK | $49 | $101,190 |
| CA | $48 | $100,260 |
| ND | $47 | $97,570 |
Another simple way to increase your salary as a Geoscientist is to move to a higher paying state. However moving to a higher paying state like TX doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the expenses at TX might be much higher than where you are currently living at right now.
According to BLS, the highest paid Geoscientists are in the states of TX, OK, PA, HI and CO.
Highest paying industries
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $194680 | $93.60 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $170870 | $82.15 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $165980 | $79.80 |
| Employment Services | $144570 | $69.50 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $134920 | $64.87 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $123430 | $59.34 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $107360 | $51.61 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $106440 | $51.17 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $104360 | $50.18 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $101140 | $48.62 |
| Local Government | $100930 | $48.52 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $91870 | $44.17 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $91840 | $44.15 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $88080 | $42.35 |
| Metal Ore Mining | $86300 | $41.49 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | $84970 | $40.85 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $84780 | $40.76 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $83740 | $40.26 |
| State Government | $79220 | $38.09 |
| Office Administrative Services | $ | $* |
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