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Best states for a geologist
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Lysa Chizmadia
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Are you thinking of becoming a geologist and really want to work at ConocoPhillips? Turns out, your chances to become a geologist are better in some states than others.As geologists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for geologists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a geologist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for geologists. Texas is the best state for geologists, where the median salary is $129,093.We found that Texas is the best state for geologist jobs, whereas Wisconsin is the worst.
10 best states for geologists in 2025
1. Texas
Total geologist jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $129,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
2. Idaho
Total geologist jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $94,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.9
3. Pennsylvania
Total geologist jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $92,551 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.79
4. Louisiana
Total geologist jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $92,717 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
5. Hawaii
Total geologist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $108,686 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 4.98
6. Oklahoma
Total geologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $110,026 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
7. West Virginia
Total geologist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $90,106 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 2.73
8. Virginia
Total geologist jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $105,936 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
9. California
Total geologist jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $99,742 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
10. Maine
Total geologist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $99,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0
Geologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a geologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a geologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $129,093 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 15 |
| 2 | Idaho | $94,189 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 3 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $92,551 | $52,000 | 12,805,537 | 20 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $92,717 | $52,000 | 4,684,333 | 6 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $108,686 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 4 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $110,026 | $63,000 | 3,930,864 | 2 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $90,106 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 4 |
| 8 | Virginia | $105,936 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 7 |
| 9 | California | $99,742 | $58,000 | 39,536,653 | 55 |
| 10 | Maine | $99,379 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $91,712 | $52,000 | 1,059,639 | 1 |
| 12 | Alaska | $90,779 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 5 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $89,337 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 2 |
| 14 | Washington | $93,673 | $54,000 | 7,405,743 | 2 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,346 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 13 |
| 16 | Arizona | $86,078 | $49,000 | 7,016,270 | 6 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $90,059 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 0 |
| 18 | Ohio | $87,925 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 3 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $90,828 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 5 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $87,996 | $49,000 | 9,005,644 | 18 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $90,785 | $51,000 | 3,588,184 | 2 |
| 22 | Michigan | $85,201 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 7 |
| 23 | Alabama | $87,749 | $49,000 | 4,874,747 | 0 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $81,472 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 7 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $81,807 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 4 |
| 26 | Delaware | $89,045 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 0 |
| 27 | New York | $87,917 | $49,000 | 19,849,399 | 13 |
| 28 | Colorado | $86,875 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 5 |
| 29 | Maryland | $87,671 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 3 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $78,149 | $46,000 | 755,393 | 1 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $81,927 | $45,000 | 2,984,100 | 1 |
| 32 | Utah | $79,789 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 5 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $87,585 | $49,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 34 | Vermont | $84,821 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 35 | Montana | $83,672 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 0 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $80,984 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 1 |
| 37 | Florida | $82,056 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 8 |
| 38 | Kansas | $68,583 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 4 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $77,007 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $63,361 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 4 |
| 41 | Oregon | $77,171 | $44,000 | 4,142,776 | 2 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $76,731 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $73,285 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 4 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,096 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 5 |
| 45 | Georgia | $63,826 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 9 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $63,046 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 7 |
| 47 | Illinois | $68,094 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 4 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,181 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 5 |
| 49 | Iowa | $64,456 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 0 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $61,728 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 0 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $57,655 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 2 |
Highest paying states for geologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Geologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $129,093 |
| 2 | Idaho | $94,189 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $92,551 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $92,717 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $108,686 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $110,026 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $90,106 |
| 8 | Virginia | $105,936 |
| 9 | California | $99,742 |
| 10 | Maine | $99,379 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $91,712 |
| 12 | Alaska | $90,779 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $89,337 |
| 14 | Washington | $93,673 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,346 |
| 16 | Arizona | $86,078 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $90,059 |
| 18 | Ohio | $87,925 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $90,828 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $87,996 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $90,785 |
| 22 | Michigan | $85,201 |
| 23 | Alabama | $87,749 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $81,472 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $81,807 |
| 26 | Delaware | $89,045 |
| 27 | New York | $87,917 |
| 28 | Colorado | $86,875 |
| 29 | Maryland | $87,671 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $78,149 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $81,927 |
| 32 | Utah | $79,789 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $87,585 |
| 34 | Vermont | $84,821 |
| 35 | Montana | $83,672 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $80,984 |
| 37 | Florida | $82,056 |
| 38 | Kansas | $68,583 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $77,007 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $63,361 |
| 41 | Oregon | $77,171 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $76,731 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $73,285 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,096 |
| 45 | Georgia | $63,826 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $63,046 |
| 47 | Illinois | $68,094 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,181 |
| 49 | Iowa | $64,456 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $61,728 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $57,655 |
Expert opinions on the best states for geologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for geologists to find work opportunities?
Lysa Chizmadia
Associate Professor, Georgia Southwestern State University
Petrochemical, Industrial, Environmental, Pharmacology. I think the highest concentrations of these fields would be in California, Texas, and New Jersey.
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Updated January 8, 2025