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Geophysicist salary
Average geophysicist salary
$105,067
Understanding Geophysicist Salaries
The role of a geophysicist is vital in exploring the Earth's physical properties, which directly impacts industries like oil and gas, environmental consulting, and mining. As of October 2025, the average annual salary for geophysicists is $105,067. However, this figure can fluctuate significantly based on experience, education, and location.
Salary Variations by State
Geophysicists in certain states earn higher wages due to demand and industry presence. For instance:
- California: $120,000
- Texas: $115,000
- Alaska: $130,000
These figures illustrate how geographic location can influence earnings. Additionally, more experienced geophysicists, especially those with specialized skills or in managerial roles, can command salaries significantly above the average.
Job Opportunities
As the need for geophysical expertise continues to grow, job seekers in this field can find numerous opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, environmental assessment, and resource exploration. Staying informed about regional salary trends and job availability can help candidates make strategic career choices.
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Where can a Geophysicist earn more?
Geophysicist salary estimates from across the web
Average geophysicist salary by state
The highest-paying states for geophysicists are Texas, Alaska, and California. The lowest average geophysicist salary states are Nebraska, Georgia, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for geophysicists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $119,741 | $57.57 |
| 2 | Alaska | $111,569 | $53.64 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $109,376 | $52.58 |
| 4 | Idaho | $105,361 | $50.65 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $97,043 | $46.66 |
| 6 | California | $110,864 | $53.30 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $109,168 | $52.48 |
| 8 | Virginia | $106,375 | $51.14 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $95,431 | $45.88 |
| 10 | Washington | $108,293 | $52.06 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $92,212 | $44.33 |
| 12 | Maine | $100,813 | $48.47 |
| 13 | Ohio | $97,034 | $46.65 |
| 14 | Montana | $100,213 | $48.18 |
| 15 | Michigan | $94,142 | $45.26 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $96,265 | $46.28 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $98,031 | $47.13 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $96,676 | $46.48 |
| 19 | Utah | $94,165 | $45.27 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $88,570 | $42.58 |
| 21 | Colorado | $95,511 | $45.92 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $91,665 | $44.07 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $93,105 | $44.76 |
| 24 | Alabama | $91,497 | $43.99 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $90,398 | $43.46 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $90,705 | $43.61 |
| 27 | Nevada | $84,357 | $40.56 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $87,894 | $42.26 |
| 29 | Maryland | $86,875 | $41.77 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $88,299 | $42.45 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $86,894 | $41.78 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $88,139 | $42.37 |
| 33 | Vermont | $87,178 | $41.91 |
| 34 | Delaware | $87,347 | $41.99 |
| 35 | Oregon | $84,413 | $40.58 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $77,540 | $37.28 |
| 37 | Arizona | $81,435 | $39.15 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $85,414 | $41.06 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,582 | $39.70 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $78,360 | $37.67 |
| 41 | New York | $85,448 | $41.08 |
| 42 | Iowa | $79,724 | $38.33 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,175 | $38.55 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,828 | $38.38 |
| 45 | Illinois | $80,866 | $38.88 |
| 46 | Missouri | $77,880 | $37.44 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $67,991 | $32.69 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $67,485 | $32.44 |
| 49 | Indiana | $67,002 | $32.21 |
| 50 | Georgia | $68,434 | $32.90 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $65,541 | $31.51 |
Highest paying cities for geophysicists
The highest-paying cities for geophysicists are Midland, TX, Richmond, CA, and Anchorage, AK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midland, TX | $120,533 | $57.95 |
| 2 | Richmond, CA | $114,440 | $55.02 |
| 3 | Anchorage, AK | $111,660 | $53.68 |
| 4 | Lafayette, LA | $109,703 | $52.74 |
| 5 | Vancouver, WA | $108,265 | $52.05 |
| 6 | Tulsa, OK | $107,450 | $51.66 |
| 7 | Centreville, VA | $106,644 | $51.27 |
| 8 | Grand Forks, ND | $98,124 | $47.17 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $96,858 | $46.57 |
| 10 | Lakewood, CO | $95,528 | $45.93 |
| 11 | Draper, UT | $94,110 | $45.25 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $86,980 | $41.82 |
| 13 | Reno, NV | $86,694 | $41.68 |
| 14 | Tucson, AZ | $81,338 | $39.10 |
| 15 | Des Plaines, IL | $81,162 | $39.02 |
| 16 | Melbourne, FL | $80,335 | $38.62 |
Geophysicist salary details
A geophysicist's salary ranges from $78,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $141,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a geophysicist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $141,000 | $11,750 | $68 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $105,067 | $8,756 | $51 |
| 25th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| 10th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
Highest paying geophysicist jobs
The highest paying types of geophysicists 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 |
| 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 |
| Consulting Geologist | $112,160 | $9,347 | $53.92 | 5,484 |
| Petroleum Geologist | $111,574 | $9,298 | $53.64 | 1,291 |
Top companies hiring geophysicists now:
Which companies pay geophysicists the most?
Geophysicist salaries at Shell and California Resources are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average geophysicist salary at companies like Cobalt International Energy and Statoil are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shell Trading | $142,776 | $68.64 |
| 2 | California Resources | $140,799 | $67.69 |
| 3 | Cobalt International Energy | $139,869 | $67.24 |
| 4 | Statoil | $134,462 | $64.65 |
| 5 | Occidental Petroleum | $132,711 | $63.80 |
| 6 | ConocoPhillips | $131,568 | $63.25 |
| 7 | Exxon Mobil | $129,825 | $62.42 |
| 8 | Chevron | $129,323 | $62.17 |
| 9 | Apache | $127,633 | $61.36 |
| 10 | EOG Resources | $126,724 | $60.92 |
| 11 | Hess | $126,665 | $60.90 |
| 12 | Marathon Oil | $126,453 | $60.79 |
| 13 | BP America Inc | $126,324 | $60.73 |
| 14 | Pioneer Natural Resources | $124,896 | $60.05 |
| 15 | W&T Offshore | $123,453 | $59.35 |
| 16 | ION Geo | $123,136 | $59.20 |
| 17 | Geokinetics | $122,848 | $59.06 |
| 18 | Global Geophysical Services | $120,115 | $57.75 |
| 19 | Lumina Geophysical | $119,898 | $57.64 |
| 20 | Repsol Energy North America Corporation | $117,393 | $56.44 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Geophysicist salary trends
The average geophysicist salary has risen by $10,228 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average geophysicist earned $94,839 annually, but today, they earn $105,067 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for geophysicists over the last decade.
Compare geophysicist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average geophysicist salary over time
Compare geophysicist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Geophysicist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.51 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | $103,000 | $49.68 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $102,000 | $49.19 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $101,000 | $48.50 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | $101,000 | $48.46 | +0.1% |
Recently added geophysicist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ensco | Geophysicist | Chantilly, VA | 06/11/2025 | $71,045 |
| Calpine | Geophysicist III | Middletown, CA | 04/04/2025 | $119,372 |
| Schlumberger Ltd. | FWI Geophysicist | Shreveport, LA | 03/27/2025 | $140,000 |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. | Early Career Geophysicist | Lakewood, CO | 03/27/2025 | $50,000 |
| Schlumberger Ltd. | FWI Geophysicist | Houston, TX | 03/25/2025 | $140,000 |
| LLOG Exploration Company, L.L.C. | Senior Quantitative Interpretation Geophysicist | Covington, LA | 03/03/2025 | $225,000 |
| HDR, Inc. | Junior Geophysicist | Boone, CO | 02/20/2025 | $61,908 |
| Department of Defense | Geophysicist-Direct | Washington, DC | 02/14/2025 | $77,343 |
| Chevron Corporation | Geophysicist | Houston, TX | 02/12/2025 | $179,800 |
| Degolyer and MacNaughton Corp. | Geophysicist | Dallas, TX | 02/12/2025 | $96,000 |
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