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Geologist vs development geologist

The differences between geologists and development geologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a geologist and a development geologist. Additionally, a geologist has an average salary of $111,878, which is higher than the $110,970 average annual salary of a development geologist.

The top three skills for a geologist include oversight, OSHA and data collection. The most important skills for a development geologist are reservoir characterization, AFE, and production data.

Geologist vs development geologist overview

GeologistDevelopment Geologist
Yearly salary$111,878$110,970
Hourly rate$53.79$53.35
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs86945,844
Job satisfaction3.5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

What does a geologist do?

A Geologist studies the composition, structure, and history of the earth's crust. They may work for private industries, the federal government, colleges and universities, or museums.

What does a development geologist do?

A Development Geologist is responsible for geological static modeling and database management. They report best-practice technological advances to management.

Geologist vs development geologist salary

Geologists and development geologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

GeologistDevelopment Geologist
Average salary$111,878$110,970
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $196,000Between $71,000 And $171,000
Highest paying CityEl Paso, TXThe Woodlands, TX
Highest paying stateTexasTexas
Best paying companyDevon EnergyChevron
Best paying industryEnergyHospitality

Differences between geologist and development geologist education

There are a few differences between a geologist and a development geologist in terms of educational background:

GeologistDevelopment Geologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorGeologyGeology
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Geologist vs development geologist demographics

Here are the differences between geologists' and development geologists' demographics:

GeologistDevelopment Geologist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 78.7% Female, 21.3%Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 1.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 81.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 1.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 4.0% White, 83.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between geologist and development geologist duties and responsibilities

Geologist example responsibilities.

  • Manage leach pad ore delivery to maximize and predict Au recovery.
  • Establish an LLC and learned the fundamentals of running and managing a small business.
  • Manage the installation of geophones, tiltmeters, inclinometers, passive vent wells, gas caps, and ORWs.
  • Manage task training and laboratory/field safety according to MSHA standards.
  • Manage, design and supervise geologic investigation drilling plans relate to environmental, geotechnical and mining projects.
  • Assist with geochemical and geophysical programs evaluating precious- and base-metal mineral exploration projects in Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin.
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Development geologist example 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.
  • Prospect generation and development has been expedite by becoming proficient in Petra mapping software.
  • Review farm-out requests, prepare well prognoses, monitor area-drilling activity, and conduct miscellaneous well-site activities in Texas and Oklahoma.
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Geologist vs development geologist skills

Common geologist skills
  • Oversight, 24%
  • OSHA, 7%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • GIS, 5%
  • Surface Water, 4%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
Common development geologist skills
  • Reservoir Characterization, 22%
  • AFE, 7%
  • Production Data, 6%
  • Well Log, 6%
  • Petrel, 6%
  • Log Analysis, 6%

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