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The differences between geologists and research 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 research geologist. Additionally, a research geologist has an average salary of $116,391, which is higher than the $111,878 average annual salary of a geologist.
The top three skills for a geologist include oversight, OSHA and data collection. The most important skills for a research geologist are GIS, geological survey, and R.
| Geologist | Research Geologist | |
| Yearly salary | $111,878 | $116,391 |
| Hourly rate | $53.79 | $55.96 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 869 | 45,501 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Geologists and research geologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Geologist | Research Geologist | |
| Average salary | $111,878 | $116,391 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $196,000 | Between $81,000 And $166,000 |
| Highest paying City | El Paso, TX | Midland, TX |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Texas |
| Best paying company | Devon Energy | Exxon Mobil |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a geologist and a research geologist in terms of educational background:
| Geologist | Research Geologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Geology | Geology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between geologists' and research geologists' demographics:
| Geologist | Research Geologist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.7% Female, 21.3% | Male, 77.9% Female, 22.1% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 0.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 5.6% White, 81.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |