Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers (SOC 19-2042) earn a median $101,920 a year ($49.00 an hour) in the United States, with 23,470 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Texas.
What geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers do
Geoscientists study the Earth's composition, structure, and history, including rocks, minerals, fossils, and the processes that shape the planet. Their findings guide exploration for oil, gas, minerals, and groundwater, and support work on waste disposal, land reclamation, natural hazards, and other environmental problems. Typical tasks include planning and conducting geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies and surveys, collecting samples and measurements, analyzing and interpreting geological data with specialized software, and investigating the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust. Geoscientists compile maps, cross-sections, and reports from this information. The category excludes hydrologists, who study water, and geographers, who study spatial patterns of human and physical features. It differs from mining and geological engineers, who design extraction and construction, and from petroleum engineers, who plan wells. They also identify risks of natural disasters such as mudslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, and they locate and estimate probable deposits of natural gas, oil, ore, or underground water.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a master's degree.
Also called: Consultant Geologist, Development Geologist, Exploration Geologist, Core Analysis Operator, Core Analyst.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $28.52 | $36.11 | $49.00 | $67.01 | $96.26 | $55.84 | 23,470 |
| Annual | $59,330 | $75,110 | $101,920 | $139,380 | $200,230 | $116,150 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.89 | $40.04 | $69.82 | $107.62 | $138.07 | $76.96 | 4,900 | 0.35 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $60,100 | $83,280 | $145,220 | $223,850 | $287,180 | $160,070 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $38.74 | $46.38 | $58.18 | $68.50 | $69.22 | $57.34 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $80,570 | $96,470 | $121,010 | $142,480 | $143,980 | $119,270 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $20.69 | $41.81 | $57.69 | $77.82 | $95.18 | $59.18 | 770 | 0.45 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $43,040 | $86,970 | $119,990 | $161,860 | $197,980 | $123,090 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $33.85 | $39.60 | $55.00 | $78.10 | $101.01 | $63.52 | 1,480 | 0.52 | 3.42 |
| Annual | $70,410 | $82,360 | $114,410 | $162,450 | $210,090 | $132,120 | ||||
| Mississippi | Hourly | $34.12 | $44.02 | $54.04 | $65.86 | $77.83 | $55.51 | 250 | 0.21 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $70,970 | $91,560 | $112,400 | $136,990 | $161,890 | $115,470 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.89 | $40.04 | $69.82 | $107.62 | $138.07 | $76.96 | 4,900 | 0.35 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $60,100 | $83,280 | $145,220 | $223,850 | $287,180 | $160,070 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $21.89 | $35.51 | $51.20 | $66.40 | $82.34 | $52.36 | 3,350 | 0.18 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $45,540 | $73,850 | $106,500 | $138,120 | $171,270 | $108,910 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $33.85 | $39.60 | $55.00 | $78.10 | $101.01 | $63.52 | 1,480 | 0.52 | 3.42 |
| Annual | $70,410 | $82,360 | $114,410 | $162,450 | $210,090 | $132,120 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $29.45 | $33.16 | $40.47 | $52.88 | $62.02 | $44.63 | 910 | 0.15 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $61,250 | $68,970 | $84,180 | $109,990 | $129,000 | $92,830 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $36.48 | $40.12 | $50.49 | $65.61 | $82.54 | $56.32 | 840 | 0.24 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $75,890 | $83,450 | $105,020 | $136,470 | $171,690 | $117,140 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Midland, TX | Hourly | $38.48 | $66.41 | $105.36 | $122.80 | $139.30 | $92.73 | 370 | 3.04 | 20.14 |
| Annual | $80,030 | $138,130 | $219,140 | $255,430 | $289,730 | $192,880 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $31.48 | $58.82 | $83.89 | $109.70 | $140.91 | $86.41 | 2,380 | 0.72 | 4.79 |
| Annual | $65,480 | $122,350 | $174,490 | $228,180 | $293,090 | $179,730 | ||||
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Hourly | $38.75 | $51.11 | $74.23 | $87.04 | $91.75 | $70.58 | 40 | 0.17 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $80,590 | $106,300 | $154,390 | $181,040 | $190,840 | $146,810 | ||||
| Lubbock, TX | Hourly | $32.22 | $40.91 | $67.62 | $100.82 | $132.41 | $75.75 | 40 | 0.26 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $67,020 | $85,080 | $140,660 | $209,700 | $275,420 | $157,570 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $36.75 | $46.26 | $65.44 | $89.50 | $96.25 | $67.99 | 170 | 0.15 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $76,450 | $96,210 | $136,120 | $186,160 | $200,200 | $141,410 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $31.48 | $58.82 | $83.89 | $109.70 | $140.91 | $86.41 | 2,380 | 0.72 | 4.79 |
| Annual | $65,480 | $122,350 | $174,490 | $228,180 | $293,090 | $179,730 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $35.93 | $43.67 | $57.92 | $84.16 | $105.90 | $66.53 | 1,020 | 0.64 | 4.21 |
| Annual | $74,720 | $90,840 | $120,480 | $175,050 | $220,270 | $138,380 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $21.89 | $31.78 | $45.51 | $63.61 | $84.74 | $48.26 | 810 | 0.13 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $45,520 | $66,100 | $94,660 | $132,320 | $176,260 | $100,370 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $27.91 | $37.28 | $63.84 | $99.47 | $124.47 | $70.50 | 610 | 0.15 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $58,050 | $77,540 | $132,780 | $206,890 | $258,890 | $146,630 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $38.71 | $41.70 | $51.83 | $66.43 | $84.79 | $58.82 | 540 | 0.26 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $80,510 | $86,740 | $107,800 | $138,170 | $176,360 | $122,350 | ||||
Top industries employing geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 29.5% of geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers nationally (6,920 jobs) at a median $83,190 a year ($40.00 an hour), followed by Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (14.8%) and Oil and Gas Extraction (11.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 6,920 | 29.5% | $83,190 | $40.00 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 3,470 | 14.8% | $93,600 | $45.00 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction NAICS 211100 | 2,780 | 11.8% | $206,950 | $99.50 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 2,200 | 9.4% | $90,820 | $43.66 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 2,080 | 8.9% | $119,430 | $57.42 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (23,470). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $83,680 for geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers in May 2021 and $101,920 in May 2025, with employment of 23,620 and 23,470.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $83,680 | $40.23 | 23,620 |
| May 2022 | $87,480 | $42.06 | 25,230 |
| May 2023 | $92,580 | $44.51 | 24,620 |
| May 2024 | $99,240 | $47.71 | 22,510 |
| May 2025 | $101,920 | $49.00 | 23,470 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas profile | $69.82 | $145,220 | $60,100 | $287,180 | 4,900 | 0.35 | 2.31 |
| 2 | Rhode Island profile | $58.18 | $121,010 | $80,570 | $143,980 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Oklahoma profile | $57.69 | $119,990 | $43,040 | $197,980 | 770 | 0.45 | 2.99 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $55.00 | $114,410 | $70,410 | $210,090 | 1,480 | 0.52 | 3.42 |
| 5 | Mississippi profile | $54.04 | $112,400 | $70,970 | $161,890 | 250 | 0.21 | 1.41 |
| 6 | Maryland profile | $53.13 | $110,510 | $63,250 | $185,220 | 390 | 0.14 | 0.93 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $52.03 | $108,210 | $80,370 | $227,230 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.77 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $51.64 | $107,410 | $66,330 | $176,940 | 430 | 1.32 | 8.78 |
| 9 | California profile | $51.20 | $106,500 | $45,540 | $171,270 | 3,350 | 0.18 | 1.22 |
| 10 | Hawaii profile | $51.09 | $106,270 | $83,050 | $137,720 | 110 | 0.17 | 1.14 |
| 11 | Washington profile | $50.49 | $105,020 | $75,890 | $171,690 | 840 | 0.24 | 1.57 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $48.63 | $101,150 | $63,290 | $157,850 | ** | ** | ** |
| 13 | Nevada profile | $48.02 | $99,890 | $71,240 | $154,960 | 520 | 0.33 | 2.21 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $47.17 | $98,110 | $66,490 | $140,400 | 380 | 0.19 | 1.27 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | $46.61 | $96,950 | $65,290 | $177,670 | 410 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| 16 | North Carolina profile | $45.80 | $95,260 | $63,060 | $143,240 | 570 | 0.12 | 0.76 |
| 17 | Florida profile | $45.74 | $95,140 | $55,440 | $164,070 | 660 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| 18 | Delaware profile | $45.02 | $93,640 | $66,710 | $108,840 | 110 | 0.24 | 1.57 |
| 19 | Louisiana profile | $44.02 | $91,560 | $51,990 | $158,660 | 440 | 0.23 | 1.51 |
| 20 | Idaho profile | $43.83 | $91,170 | $67,200 | $174,800 | 130 | 0.15 | 0.98 |
| 21 | Utah profile | $43.26 | $89,990 | $68,850 | $132,750 | 300 | 0.17 | 1.14 |
| 22 | Alabama profile | $42.60 | $88,610 | $49,110 | $136,990 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.34 |
| 23 | New Mexico profile | $42.56 | $88,530 | $66,390 | $126,260 | 160 | 0.19 | 1.24 |
| 24 | New Jersey profile | $42.55 | $88,500 | $63,460 | $141,090 | 300 | 0.07 | 0.47 |
| 25 | Virginia profile | $42.49 | $88,390 | $62,990 | $183,040 | 300 | 0.07 | 0.48 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | $41.86 | $87,070 | $30,800 | $136,200 | ** | ** | ** |
| 27 | Maine profile | $41.75 | $86,840 | $73,380 | $131,530 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.67 |
| 28 | New York profile | $41.54 | $86,410 | $64,990 | $139,760 | 600 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 29 | South Carolina profile | $41.38 | $86,070 | $47,550 | $141,480 | 230 | 0.10 | 0.65 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | $41.13 | $85,550 | $59,990 | $117,120 | 110 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
| 31 | Arizona profile | $40.96 | $85,190 | $57,450 | $131,100 | 550 | 0.17 | 1.13 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania profile | $40.47 | $84,180 | $61,250 | $129,000 | 910 | 0.15 | 1.00 |
| 33 | North Dakota profile | $40.42 | $84,070 | $62,300 | $132,080 | 100 | 0.23 | 1.52 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $40.09 | $83,390 | $57,260 | $130,320 | 260 | 0.09 | 0.58 |
| 35 | Ohio profile | $39.05 | $81,220 | $55,990 | $130,690 | 410 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| 36 | Michigan profile | $38.94 | $80,990 | $62,160 | $119,960 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.49 |
| 37 | Minnesota profile | $38.72 | $80,540 | $52,710 | $157,300 | 240 | 0.08 | 0.54 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | $38.50 | $80,080 | $56,680 | $136,390 | 190 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
| 39 | Wisconsin profile | $37.79 | $78,610 | $58,790 | $132,830 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.25 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $37.44 | $77,870 | $56,230 | $118,110 | 230 | 0.07 | 0.47 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $37.27 | $77,510 | $44,130 | $115,920 | 170 | 0.08 | 0.56 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | $36.57 | $76,060 | $52,770 | $120,250 | 90 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
| 43 | Montana profile | $36.31 | $75,520 | $54,450 | $121,100 | 210 | 0.41 | 2.68 |
| 44 | Wyoming profile | $36.01 | $74,910 | $55,130 | $116,650 | 220 | 0.77 | 5.13 |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $35.80 | $74,460 | $61,730 | $95,540 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.17 |
| 46 | Georgia profile | $35.54 | $73,920 | $58,500 | $123,550 | 340 | 0.07 | 0.46 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $34.21 | $71,150 | $61,290 | $78,560 | 80 | 0.18 | 1.17 |
| 48 | Indiana profile | $32.81 | $68,240 | $45,620 | $127,100 | 270 | 0.09 | 0.56 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $32.64 | $67,880 | $49,700 | $125,780 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.36 |
| 50 | Connecticut profile | $29.72 | $61,810 | $60,620 | $83,440 | ** | ** | ** |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (19-2040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-2042 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-2042, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-2042.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.