Geophysicist demographics and statistics in the US
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Geophysicist demographics by:
Geophysicist gender statistics
19.4% of geophysicists are women and 80.6% of geophysicists are men.
- Male, 80.6%
- Female, 19.4%
Geophysicist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.6% |
| Female | 19.4% |
Geophysicist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$113,085
Female income
$107,639
Geophysicist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in geophysicist positions over time. Currently, 19.4% of geophysicists are female.
Geophysicist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.84% | 26.16% |
| 2011 | 73.30% | 26.70% |
| 2012 | 71.59% | 28.41% |
| 2013 | 70.53% | 29.47% |
| 2014 | 72.19% | 27.81% |
| 2015 | 71.22% | 28.78% |
| 2016 | 71.21% | 28.79% |
| 2017 | 69.65% | 30.35% |
| 2018 | 75.31% | 24.69% |
| 2019 | 76.56% | 23.44% |
| 2020 | 75.48% | 24.52% |
| 2021 | 80.60% | 19.40% |
Geophysicist related jobs gender ratio
We compared geophysicists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, seismologist and optical scientist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aerologist | 11% | 89% |
| Senior Advocate | 33% | 67% |
| Geophysicist | 81% | 19% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 91% | 9% |
| Optical Scientist | 91% | 9% |
| Seismologist | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Geophysicist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among geophysicists is White, which makes up 82.3% of all geophysicists. Comparatively, 6.2% of geophysicists are Hispanic or Latino and 5.3% of geophysicists are Asian.
- White, 82.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 6.2%
- Asian, 5.3%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- Black or African American, 0.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Geophysicist race
| Geophysicist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 82.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.2% |
| Asian | 5.3% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Geophysicist race and ethnicity over time
See how geophysicist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Geophysicist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.72% | 2.55% | 6.80% | 5.76% |
| 2011 | 82.38% | 2.68% | 7.18% | 4.84% |
| 2012 | 84.00% | 2.81% | 5.56% | 4.38% |
| 2013 | 82.33% | 2.07% | 7.09% | 5.56% |
| 2014 | 82.32% | 2.45% | 8.36% | 4.30% |
| 2015 | 82.92% | 2.83% | 7.93% | 3.96% |
| 2016 | 83.47% | 2.62% | 6.36% | 5.35% |
| 2017 | 82.51% | 2.56% | 6.73% | 5.88% |
| 2018 | 84.45% | 1.82% | 7.24% | 5.14% |
| 2019 | 83.08% | 1.13% | 7.26% | 6.45% |
| 2020 | 83.66% | 1.48% | 4.91% | 5.61% |
| 2021 | 82.33% | 0.86% | 5.32% | 6.25% |
Geophysicist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian geophysicists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american geophysicists have the lowest average salary at $109,216.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $112,291 |
| White | $109,842 |
| Black or African American | $109,216 |
| Asian | $120,628 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $113,810 |
Average geophysicist age
See how the average age of geophysicists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Geophysicist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 41 | |
| White | 46 | 40 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 |
Geophysicist age breakdown
The average age of geophysicists is 40+ years years old, representing 60% of the geophysicist population.
Geophysicist age breakdown
| Geophysicist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 60% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Geophysicist educational attainment
The most common degree for geophysicists is bachelor's degree, with 71% of geophysicists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 22%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Geophysicists by degree level
| Geophysicist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 71% |
| Master's | 22% |
| Doctorate | 4% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Geophysicist jobs you might like
Geophysicist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, geophysicists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $123,346 annually. With a Master's degree, geophysicists earn a median annual income of $114,077 compared to $102,776 for geophysicists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $114,077 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,776 |
| Doctorate Degree | $123,346 |
Geophysicist employment statistics
Most geophysicists work for a private in the energy industry.
Company size where geophysicists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where geophysicists work.
Geophysicist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Geophysicist jobs by company type
Employees with the geophysicist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most geophysicists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Geophysicist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 33% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 3% |
Geophysicist jobs by industry
The most common industries for geophysicists are energy, professional and technology.
Geophysicist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Energy | 34% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Education | 5% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Geophysicist turnover and employment statistics
Geophysicist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for geophysicists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Geophysicist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Geophysicist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.40% |
| 2011 | 3.59% |
| 2012 | 2.76% |
| 2013 | 3.54% |
| 2014 | 2.58% |
| 2015 | 3.12% |
| 2016 | 2.97% |
| 2017 | 2.32% |
| 2018 | 1.53% |
| 2019 | 1.36% |
| 2020 | 5.86% |
| 2021 | 3.75% |
Average geophysicist tenure
The average geophysicist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,264 geophysicists resumes in Zippia's database.
Geophysicist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 13% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 21% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Geophysicist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of geophysicists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Geophysicist | 4.45% | - |
| Dairy Chemist | 5.26% | 3,733 |
| Weather Algorithm Scientist | 8.32% | 41,471 |
| Water Pollution Scientist | 15.61% | 45,033 |
Similar geophysicist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy Chemist | 5.26% | 3,733 |
| Weather Algorithm Scientist | 8.32% | 41,471 |
| Water Pollution Scientist | 15.61% | 45,033 |
Foreign languages spoken by geophysicists
The most common foreign language among geophysicists is Spanish at 29.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.0% and Russian is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Spanish, 29.0%
- French, 11.0%
- Russian, 10.0%
- Arabic, 9.0%
- Chinese, 8.0%
- Other, 33.0%
Geophysicist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 29.0% |
| French | 11.0% |
| Russian | 10.0% |
| Arabic | 9.0% |
| Chinese | 8.0% |
| Other | 33.0% |
