How to hire a geological engineer

How to hire a geological engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step geological engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a geological engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new geological engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a geological engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a geological engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a geological engineer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of geological engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Geological Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Geological Engineer	Mining and geological engineers design mines to safely and efficiently remove minerals such as coal and metals for use in manufacturing and utilities.	$31-49
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Staff Engineer	Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations... Show more	$33-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Geotechnical
   • Autocad
   • Technical Reports
   • Engineering Design
   • Slope Stability
   • Data Interpretation
   • Technical Expertise
   • Remote Sensing
   • GIS
   • Ground Water
   • Cost Estimates
   • Data Collection
   • Soil Samples
   • Data Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct time-and-motion studies and performance of truck-and-shovel analysis and efficiently allocate trucks to shovels and attain optimum productivity.
   • Identify ways to maximize data gather from logging and testing, conduct onsite petrophysics analysis and QC.
   • Help to prepare mechanics, geotechnical and geological reports.
   • Analyze field and laboratory test data and prepare geotechnical reports.
   • Operate and troubleshoot vacuum deposition machinery used in the development of anodes vital to the design of novel lithium-sulfur battery technology.
   • Involve consistently infield operation and provide high safety and HSE standards.

   More geological engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your geological engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A geological engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, geological engineers' average salary in alabama is 39% less than in new mexico.
   • Seniority. Entry-level geological engineers earn 36% less than senior-level geological engineers.
   • Certifications. A geological engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a geological engineer's salary.

   Average geological engineer salary

   $81,506yearly

   $39.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level geological engineer salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average geological engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Michigan	$103,897	$50
   2	North Dakota	$95,091	$46
   3	Ohio	$92,210	$44
   4	South Carolina	$91,924	$44
   5	Colorado	$89,658	$43
   6	Washington	$87,200	$42
   7	Alaska	$86,627	$42
   8	Nevada	$85,740	$41
   9	Texas	$84,186	$40
   10	District of Columbia	$83,865	$40
   11	Georgia	$83,115	$40
   12	Mississippi	$80,799	$39
   13	Pennsylvania	$79,266	$38
   14	Nebraska	$79,073	$38
   15	Illinois	$75,121	$36
   16	Wyoming	$74,561	$36
   17	Iowa	$74,384	$36
   18	Massachusetts	$74,012	$36
   19	Connecticut	$73,883	$36
   20	Missouri	$73,752	$35

   Average geological engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	TOPS Well Services	$87,877	$42.25
   2	Vector Engineering	$86,382	$41.53
   3	Pinnacle Engineering	$85,578	$41.14
   4	SRK Consulting	$85,271	$41.00
   5	Fort Myer Construction Company	$82,617	$39.72
   6	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$79,389	$38.17	61
   7	Freeport-McMoRan	$78,845	$37.91	7
   8	RESPEC	$78,825	$37.90
   9	Black & Veatch	$78,061	$37.53	14
   10	Stantec	$77,807	$37.41	79
   11	MWH Americas Inc	$77,521	$37.27
   12	Kiewit	$77,248	$37.14	20
   13	Knight Piésold	$75,102	$36.11	3
   14	Vulcan Materials	$70,279	$33.79
   15	Colorado School of Mines	$63,811	$30.68
   16	Graham Holdings	$48,530	$23.33

4. Writing a geological engineer job description

   A geological engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a geological engineer job description:

   Geological engineer job description example

   Job Description: RESPEC, an internationally recognized engineering consulting and services company with domestic and international projects, seeks a mid-level geological engineer in its Grand Junction, Colorado, office. RESPEC's current mining projects focus on limestone, salt, potash, phosphates, trona, critical minerals, brines, and other commodities. Domestic and international travel may be required for client development, visits to client mine sites, and client and corporate meetings.
   Duties will include the following:
   
   + Perform geologic logging and sampling for soils and rock to support geotechnical testing plans
   
   + Identify, map, and evaluate geologic conditions or hazards in surface and underground locations
   
   + Develop, design, and manage exploration drilling programs for various commodities of interest
   
   + Develop and implement site safety plans, geotechnical monitoring plans, and environmental sampling plans
   
   + Use industry-standard software applications to analyze, map, and interpret geotechnical data.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor of science degree in mining engineering, geological engineering, or a related field; or master of science degree
   
   + Minimum of 4 years of experience in geologic analysis in either surface or underground mine environments or similar operational spaces,
   
   + Professional licensure or ability and willingness to obtain
   
   + Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally.
   
   Compensation: Salary will be commensurate with education and experience; typical salary range for this position is $75k-95k, DOEQ. Compensation includes a comprehensive fringe-benefits package that consists of medical, vision, dental insurance; holidays; paid leave; 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); continuing education; and professional societies. RESPEC is a 100% employee-owned company and employees are eligible for participation in the ESOP after a qualifying period.
   
   Interviews: Interviews will be by appointment only.
   
   Compensation for the role will depend on several factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown. Compensation includes a comprehensive fringe-benefits package that consists of medical, vision, dental, holidays, paid leave, 401(k) Plan, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), continuing education, and professional societies. RESPEC is a 100% employee-owned company and employees are eligible for participation in the ESOP after a qualifying period.
   
   Interviews: Interviews will be by appointment only. Recruiters, please do not contact this job poster. Please do not contact us with unsolicited services or offers.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find geological engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your geological engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit geological engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit geological engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new geological engineer

   Once you've found the geological engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new geological engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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