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Geologist salary
Average geologist salary
$111,878
Average Geologist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a geologist in the United States is $111,878 per year. This figure represents the earnings for professionals engaged in geological research, consulting, or environmental assessment.
Factors Affecting Salary
Geologist salaries vary based on factors such as:
- Location: Different states offer varying pay scales. For instance, geologists in states like California and Texas often earn more due to higher demand and cost of living.
- Experience: Entry-level positions typically start lower, while those with advanced degrees or extensive experience can command significantly higher salaries.
- Industry: Specializations such as oil and gas extraction or environmental consulting usually offer more lucrative opportunities.
Career Opportunities
Geologists have diverse career paths available, including roles in academia, government, and private sector companies. The ongoing need for environmental assessments and natural resource management ensures a steady demand for skilled geologists.
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Where can a Geologist earn more?
Geologist salary estimates from across the web
Average geologist salary by state
The average geologist salary in Texas, Oklahoma, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average geologist salary states are Georgia, Nebraska, and North Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for geologists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $129,093 | $62.06 |
| 2 | Idaho | $94,189 | $45.28 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $92,551 | $44.50 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $92,717 | $44.58 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $108,686 | $52.25 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $110,026 | $52.90 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $90,106 | $43.32 |
| 8 | Virginia | $105,936 | $50.93 |
| 9 | California | $99,742 | $47.95 |
| 10 | Maine | $99,379 | $47.78 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $91,712 | $44.09 |
| 12 | Alaska | $90,779 | $43.64 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $89,337 | $42.95 |
| 14 | Washington | $93,673 | $45.04 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,346 | $40.07 |
| 16 | Arizona | $86,078 | $41.38 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $90,059 | $43.30 |
| 18 | Ohio | $87,925 | $42.27 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $90,828 | $43.67 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $87,996 | $42.31 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $90,785 | $43.65 |
| 22 | Michigan | $85,201 | $40.96 |
| 23 | Alabama | $87,749 | $42.19 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $81,472 | $39.17 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $81,807 | $39.33 |
| 26 | Delaware | $89,045 | $42.81 |
| 27 | New York | $87,917 | $42.27 |
| 28 | Colorado | $86,875 | $41.77 |
| 29 | Maryland | $87,671 | $42.15 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $78,149 | $37.57 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $81,927 | $39.39 |
| 32 | Utah | $79,789 | $38.36 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $87,585 | $42.11 |
| 34 | Vermont | $84,821 | $40.78 |
| 35 | Montana | $83,672 | $40.23 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $80,984 | $38.93 |
| 37 | Florida | $82,056 | $39.45 |
| 38 | Kansas | $68,583 | $32.97 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $77,007 | $37.02 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $63,361 | $30.46 |
| 41 | Oregon | $77,171 | $37.10 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $76,731 | $36.89 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $73,285 | $35.23 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,096 | $31.30 |
| 45 | Georgia | $63,826 | $30.69 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $63,046 | $30.31 |
| 47 | Illinois | $68,094 | $32.74 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,181 | $27.49 |
| 49 | Iowa | $64,456 | $30.99 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $61,728 | $29.68 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $57,655 | $27.72 |
Highest paying cities for geologists
The highest-paying cities for geologists are El Paso, TX, Norman, OK, and Long Beach, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso, TX | $135,938 | $65.35 |
| 2 | Norman, OK | $115,223 | $55.40 |
| 3 | Long Beach, CA | $100,933 | $48.53 |
| 4 | Bellevue, WA | $93,913 | $45.15 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge, LA | $93,165 | $44.79 |
| 6 | Anchorage, AK | $90,721 | $43.62 |
| 7 | Newark, NJ | $88,165 | $42.39 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $88,045 | $42.33 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $87,705 | $42.17 |
| 10 | Englewood, CO | $87,001 | $41.83 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,134 | $41.41 |
| 12 | Canton, MI | $85,335 | $41.03 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $83,771 | $40.27 |
| 14 | Tallahassee, FL | $82,083 | $39.46 |
| 15 | Carlsbad, NM | $81,764 | $39.31 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $79,024 | $37.99 |
| 17 | Laramie, WY | $76,663 | $36.86 |
| 18 | Kansas City, MO | $64,839 | $31.17 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $64,456 | $30.99 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $64,006 | $30.77 |
Geologists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Geologist salary details
A geologist's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $196,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a geologist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $196,000 | $16,333 | $94 |
| 75th Percentile | $150,000 | $12,500 | $72 |
| Average | $111,878 | $9,323 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
Highest paying geologist jobs
The highest paying types of geologists are research geologist, exploration geologist, and consulting geologist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geology Internship | $109,240 | $9,103 | $52.52 | 48,632 |
| Geophysicist | $105,067 | $8,756 | $50.51 | 287 |
| Geoscientist | $110,629 | $9,219 | $53.19 | 302 |
| Engineer And Geologist | $101,882 | $8,490 | $48.98 | 3,083 |
| Exploration Geologist | $112,376 | $9,365 | $54.03 | 667 |
| Development Geologist | $110,970 | $9,247 | $53.35 | 45,844 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for geologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Gregory Knapp Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director, Sustainability Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
Top companies hiring geologists now:
Which companies pay geologists the most?
Geologist salaries at Devon Energy and ConocoPhillips are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average geologist salary at companies like California Resources and Shell are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devon Energy | $157,003 | $75.48 |
| 2 | ConocoPhillips | $156,408 | $75.20 |
| 3 | California Resources | $155,390 | $74.71 |
| 4 | Shell Trading | $154,049 | $74.06 |
| 5 | BP America Inc | $147,304 | $70.82 |
| 6 | Apache | $147,133 | $70.74 |
| 7 | Swift Energy Company | $145,020 | $69.72 |
| 8 | Intrepid Potash | $144,967 | $69.70 |
| 9 | Surge Energy America | $144,262 | $69.36 |
| 10 | Exxon Mobil | $144,103 | $69.28 |
| 11 | Chevron | $142,648 | $68.58 |
| 12 | Occidental Petroleum | $142,527 | $68.52 |
| 13 | Marathon Oil | $142,078 | $68.31 |
| 14 | Battelle | $141,744 | $68.15 |
| 15 | SM Energy | $141,216 | $67.89 |
| 16 | EOG Resources | $140,568 | $67.58 |
| 17 | Pioneer Natural Resources | $140,273 | $67.44 |
| 18 | Hilcorp Energy | $139,818 | $67.22 |
| 19 | Lumina Geophysical | $139,581 | $67.11 |
| 20 | Ryder Scott Co | $139,135 | $66.89 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Geologist salary by industry
The average geologist salary varies across industries:
- The average geologist salary in the energy industry is $139,464, the highest of any industry.
- The average geologist salary in the finance industry is $112,040.
- Geologists in the government industry earn an average salary of $77,634, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for geologists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $139,464 | $67.05 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $112,040 | $53.87 |
| 3 | Professional | $87,322 | $41.98 |
| 4 | Technology | $81,627 | $39.24 |
| 5 | Government | $77,634 | $37.32 |
High paying geologist jobs
Geologist salary trends
The average geologist salary has risen by $10,892 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average geologist earned $100,986 annually, but today, they earn $111,878 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for geologists over the last decade.
Compare geologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average geologist salary over time
Compare geologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Geologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $112,000 | $53.79 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | $110,000 | $52.90 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $109,000 | $52.38 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $107,000 | $51.64 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | $107,000 | $51.60 | +0.1% |
Recently added geologist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogeologic, Inc. | Geologist I | Lakewood, CO | 06/29/2025 | $46,738 |
| Hydrogeologic, Inc. | Geologist III | Billings, MT | 06/29/2025 | $71,868 |
| Hydrogeologic, Inc. | Geologist II | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $57,432 |
| Hgl | Geologist I | Lakewood, CO | 06/29/2025 | $46,738 |
| Hgl | Geologist II | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $57,432 |
| Apex Companies | Geologist | Iselin, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. | Geologist | Iselin, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| State of Michigan | Geologist 9-P11 (Water USE Program Geologist) | Lansing, MI | 06/28/2025 | $50,714 |
| WSP | Early Career Geologist | Boston, MA | 06/26/2025 | $50,400 |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. | Geologist/Hydrogeologist | Phoenix, AZ | 06/25/2025 | $70,000 |
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