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What is a development geologist and how to become one
Development geologists are responsible for conducting geological, geochemical, or geophysical analyses and interpretations for development operations. They use their geological knowledge to aid in the exploration of oil, gas, underground water, and minerals, as well as land reclamation. They do this by using information from various sources such as aerial pictures, survey data, or even well logs.
Development geologists can work in an array of industries including mining, oil and gas, research, hydrogeology, engineering, and even teaching. They usually work in an office, in a laboratory, or in the field. A successful development geologist should have experience in geology as well as strong technical skills, innovativeness, creativity, analytical skills, teamwork skills, and communication skills.
Development geologists typically work 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. They may also be called upon to work extra hours and weekends, however, especially when doing field work and construction site visits.
Avg. Salary $110,970
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.61%
Asian 3.97%
Black or African American 1.01%
Hispanic or Latino 6.63%
Unknown 4.75%
White 83.03%
Genderfemale 18.60%
male 81.40%
Age - 44American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 44Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Development geologist career paths
Key steps to become a development geologist
Explore development geologist education requirements
Start to develop specific development geologist skills
Skills Percentages Reservoir Characterization 21.78% AFE 7.48% Production Data 6.49% Well Log 6.43% Petrel 6.13% Complete relevant development geologist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New development geologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a development geologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real development geologist resumes.Research development geologist duties and responsibilities
- Manage the field budget, and liability of MWD field equipment.
- Manage the installation of geophones, tiltmeters, inclinometers, passive vent wells, gas caps, and ORWs.
- Create mineral rights lease maps utilizing ArcMap (GIS).
- Correlate well logs using PETRA and other programs, and research production zones for solid and fluid minerals.
Prepare your development geologist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your development geologist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a development geologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable development geologist resume templates
Build a professional development geologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your development geologist resume.
Apply for development geologist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a development geologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first development geologist job
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Average development geologist salary
The average development geologist salary in the United States is $110,970 per year or $53 per hour. Development geologist salaries range between $71,000 and $171,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do development geologists rate their job?
Development geologist reviews
Hard to find a job.
not much.
Inconsistent working schedule, have to fight for billable work against other geologists within my company, insanely long hours, travel to mostly unsafe areas.
Updated January 8, 2025
