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Development geologist salary

Average development geologist salary

$110,970

$53.35 hourly rate

Entry-level development geologist salary
$71,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Development Geologist Salaries

The average Development Geologist earns around $110,970 annually, with hourly rates averaging $53. However, this figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific industry sector.

Factors Influencing Salaries

For instance, states like California and Texas often offer higher salaries due to the demand for geologists in energy and resource sectors. Those with specialized skills in software or environmental impact assessments may command higher wages.

Salary Variations Over Time

As the job market evolves, the demand for Development Geologists remains steady, with opportunities in both public and private sectors. Tracking salary trends helps professionals gauge their earning potential and make informed career choices.

Conclusion

Development Geologists play a vital role in shaping our understanding of natural resources. For those considering this career path, staying informed about salary trends and industry demands is crucial for success.

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Where can a Development Geologist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
167k
147k
127k
107k
87k
67k
Columbus, OH$148,603
Lafayette, LA$96,608
Compare salary by company
Vs
163k
143k
123k
103k
83k
63k
Chevron$140,405
Newmont$92,918

Development geologist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Payscale, the average salary for a development geologist typically falls between $95,750 and $136,314.
zippia
$110,970yearly
glassdoor[1]
$98,998yearly
Salary.com[2]
$136,314yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$95,750yearly
payscale[4]
$135,000yearly

Average development geologist salary by state

The highest-paying states for development geologists are Texas, Oklahoma, and California. The lowest average development geologist salary states are Nebraska, Georgia, and Arkansas.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for development geologists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Arizona$109,854$52.81
2Maine$105,011$50.49
3Oklahoma$121,227$58.28
4Texas$145,909$70.15
5New Mexico$100,647$48.39
6Nevada$102,179$49.12
7West Virginia$98,910$47.55
8Idaho$105,696$50.82
9California$119,658$57.53
10Alaska$105,046$50.50
11Tennessee$97,216$46.74
12Alabama$98,897$47.55
13South Carolina$102,562$49.31
14Virginia$110,678$53.21
15Montana$95,585$45.95
16Ohio$97,769$47.00
17Kentucky$96,086$46.20
18Pennsylvania$95,372$45.85
19Michigan$93,741$45.07
20Washington$106,180$51.05
21New Hampshire$92,083$44.27
22Louisiana$96,377$46.34
23Colorado$100,554$48.34
24Hawaii$107,476$51.67
25South Dakota$90,196$43.36
26North Dakota$88,291$42.45
27Rhode Island$93,245$44.83
28Mississippi$89,450$43.00
29Kansas$82,361$39.60
30Massachusetts$92,923$44.67
31Florida$85,541$41.13
32Connecticut$92,453$44.45
33Delaware$91,243$43.87
34New Jersey$89,603$43.08
35Wyoming$89,218$42.89
36Vermont$89,968$43.25
37New York$89,644$43.10
38Maryland$90,294$43.41
39Utah$86,803$41.73
40Nebraska$75,475$36.29
41Arkansas$71,293$34.28
42Georgia$73,747$35.46
43Iowa$76,372$36.72
44Missouri$78,420$37.70
45District of Columbia$90,244$43.39
46Minnesota$86,181$41.43
47Oregon$85,689$41.20
48Wisconsin$66,405$31.93
49Indiana$66,382$31.91
50Illinois$79,891$38.41
51North Carolina$70,434$33.86

Highest paying cities for development geologists

The highest-paying cities for development geologists are The Woodlands, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, and Bakersfield, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1The Woodlands, TX$148,603$71.44
2Oklahoma City, OK$122,676$58.98
3Bakersfield, CA$120,816$58.08
4Fairbanks, AK$104,328$50.16
5Lafayette, LA$96,608$46.45

Development geologist salary details

A development geologist's salary ranges from $71,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $171,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average development geologist salary graph
Average development geologist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a development geologist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$171,000$14,250$82
75th Percentile$139,000$11,583$67
Average$110,970$9,248$53
25th Percentile$88,000$7,333$42
10th Percentile$71,000$5,917$34

Highest paying development geologist jobs

The highest paying types of development geologists are research geologist, exploration geologist, and consulting geologist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Geology Internship$109,240$9,103$52.5248,632
Geophysicist$105,067$8,756$50.51287
Geoscientist$110,629$9,219$53.19302
Consulting Geologist$112,160$9,347$53.925,484
Geologist$111,878$9,323$53.79869
Engineer And Geologist$101,882$8,490$48.983,083

Top companies hiring development geologists now:

  1. Devon Energy jobs (2)
  2. California Resources jobs (2)
  3. ConocoPhillips jobs (9)
  4. Chevron jobs (27)
  5. Occidental Petroleum jobs (3)

Which companies pay development geologists the most?

Development geologist salaries at Chevron and BP America Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average development geologist salary at companies like Marathon Oil and Kosmos Energy are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Chevron$140,405$67.50
2BP America Inc$137,409$66.06
3Marathon Oil$132,906$63.90
4Kosmos Energy$111,510$53.61
5Sandridge Inc.$110,924$53.33
6Broken Hill Proprietary$110,924$53.33
7Newmont$92,918$44.67

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$124,000$122,000$120,000$118,000$116,000$114,000
MaleFemale

Development geologist salary trends

The average development geologist salary has risen by $10,803 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average development geologist earned $100,167 annually, but today, they earn $110,970 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for development geologists over the last decade.

Compare development geologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average development geologist salary over time

Compare development geologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Development geologist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$111,000$53.35+1.6%
2024$109,000$52.47+1.0%
2023$108,000$51.95+1.4%
2022$107,000$51.22+0.1%
2021$106,000$51.18+0.1%

Recently added development geologist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Civitas Resources, Inc.Geologist II, DevelopmentDenver, CO04/16/2025$130,000
Anschutz Exploration CorporationSenior Development GeologistDenver, CO01/29/2025$140,000
Charm IndustrialDevelopment Geologist (Bf0028)San Francisco, CA11/25/2024$145,000
Occidental PetroleumPRB Operations & Development GeologistDenver, CO07/02/2024$116,800
Civitas Resources, Inc.Development Geologist, IIIDenver, CO05/22/2024$155,000
Ineos PhenolDevelopment Geologist/GeoscientistDenver, CO05/13/2024$140,000
Ineos PhenolDevelopment Geologist/GeoscientistDenver, CO05/13/2024$140,000
Civitas Resources, Inc.Development Geologist, IIIDenver, CO02/15/2024$155,000

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