Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between geological engineers and senior staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a geological engineer, becoming a senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $81,506 average annual salary of a geological engineer.
The top three skills for a geological engineer include geotechnical, autocad and technical reports. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Geological Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,506 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $39.19 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 5,971 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Geological engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Geological Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,506 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $102,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lansing, MI | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | TOPS Well Services | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a geological engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Geological Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Geological Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Colorado School of Mines | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between geological engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Geological Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 20.2% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |