Post job

Geologist vs paleontologist

The differences between geologists and paleontologists 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 paleontologist. Additionally, a geologist has an average salary of $111,878, which is higher than the $90,653 average annual salary of a paleontologist.

The top three skills for a geologist include oversight, OSHA and data collection. The most important skills for a paleontologist are nepa, natural history, and .

Geologist vs paleontologist overview

GeologistPaleontologist
Yearly salary$111,878$90,653
Hourly rate$53.79$43.58
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs869251
Job satisfaction3.5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

Geologist vs paleontologist salary

Geologists and paleontologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

GeologistPaleontologist
Average salary$111,878$90,653
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $196,000Between $63,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CityEl Paso, TX-
Highest paying stateTexas-
Best paying companyDevon Energy-
Best paying industryEnergy-

Differences between geologist and paleontologist education

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

GeologistPaleontologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorGeologyGeology
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Geologist vs paleontologist demographics

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

GeologistPaleontologist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 78.7% Female, 21.3%Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4%
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, 0.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 86.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between geologist and paleontologist 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.
  • Show more

Paleontologist example responsibilities.

  • Develop and/or lead short courses and seminars on eolian sedimentology, the characterization of heterogeneous reservoirs and reservoir management.
  • Assist in excavations of dinosaurs, Champsosaurus, early reptiles and prehistoric fish.
  • Record field data using Trimble GPS and iPads to collect survey and monitoring data.
  • Prepare proposals, supervise monitoring and sampling activities and prepare annual and quarterly reports in accordance with Ohio EPA requirements.
  • Improve correlation of offshore wells from Gabon to Angola, which contribute to exploration success in Angola.
  • Install and troubleshoot specialize equipment and software to monitor drilling activity.

Geologist vs paleontologist skills

Common geologist skills
  • Oversight, 24%
  • OSHA, 7%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • GIS, 5%
  • Surface Water, 4%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
Common paleontologist skills
  • Nepa, 77%
  • Natural History, 23%

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs