Geoscience specialist vs staff geologist

The differences between geoscience specialists and staff 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 geoscience specialist and a staff geologist. Additionally, a staff geologist has an average salary of $108,966, which is higher than the $52,930 average annual salary of a geoscience specialist.

The top three skills for a geoscience specialist include GIS, digitizing and QC. The most important skills for a staff geologist are data collection, OSHA, and HAZWOPER.

Geoscience specialist vs staff geologist overview

	Geoscience Specialist	Staff Geologist
Yearly salary	$52,930	$108,966
Hourly rate	$25.45	$52.39
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	18,803	68,971
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Geoscience specialist vs staff geologist salary

Geoscience specialists and staff geologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geoscience Specialist	Staff Geologist
Average salary	$52,930	$108,966
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $87,000	Between $62,000 And $189,000
Highest paying City	-	Corpus Christi, TX
Highest paying state	-	Texas
Best paying company	-	ConocoPhillips
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between geoscience specialist and staff geologist education

There are a few differences between a geoscience specialist and a staff geologist in terms of educational background:

	Geoscience Specialist	Staff Geologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Most common major	Geology	Geology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Geoscience specialist vs staff geologist demographics

Here are the differences between geoscience specialists' and staff geologists' demographics:

	Geoscience Specialist	Staff Geologist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%	Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 3.6% White, 83.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between geoscience specialist and staff geologist duties and responsibilities

Geoscience specialist example responsibilities.

Manage FDA regulate products requirements for ISO2000 quality assurance.
Create maps from Petrosys & ArcView GIS.
Determine program eligibility for Medicaid, food stamp and cash benefits in accordance with current regulations using the computer-based eligibility system.
Maintain department SharePoint site including site administration.

Staff geologist example responsibilities.

Manage numerous UST closures and site restorations
Conduct a series of geotechnical investigations to evaluate construction suitability of structures including highway structures, man bridges and buildings.
Used GIS to prepare maps and evaluate data.
Survey boring locations in the field prior to drilling (utilizing GPS) and clear utilities.
Prepare and communicate daily reports to the corporate geologist and company man on well drilling progress and well-site activities.
Provide real-time updates on drilling parameters, natural gas readings, hole cavings, and rock hardness to the well-site crew.

Geoscience specialist vs staff geologist skills

Common geoscience specialist skills

GIS, 28%
Digitizing, 20%
QC, 20%
Petra, 17%
Project Management, 15%

Common staff geologist skills

Data Collection, 10%
OSHA, 7%
HAZWOPER, 7%
Technical Reports, 6%
Geotechnical, 5%
Surface Water, 5%

Geoscience Specialist vs. similar jobs

Geoscience Specialist related careers

Geoscience Specialist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Geoscience Specialist
Geoscience Specialist vs Staff Geologist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs