How To Become A Geoscientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a geoscientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Jesse Kelsch,

Jennifer Smith-Engle Ph.D.

A geoscientist specializes in the field of geosciences, conducting research and analysis to learn more about the Earth and its components. Their studies help push the field of geoscience further, as well as serve as references for various programs and projects. Furthermore, their work allows them to contribute to geoscience data that can aid future generations of geoscientists.

To illustrate what a typical workweek of a geoscientist is like, let's take a look at their duties. Usually, a geoscientist is responsible for collecting locality data, gathering samples from sites of study, examining geological structures, conducting experiments and studies, and culminating their findings in a comprehensive report. After which, they share their results with other professionals, the academe, and the general public.

Of course, you would need a background in geology to become a geoscientist. But more than that, you would also need a good grasp of laboratory experimentation, fieldwork processes, and safe practices in handling natural material, among other crucial aspects of the job.

Due to the high level of education and expertise that this job requires, a geoscientist can earn around $99,000 per year, and that's just the average.

What general advice would you give to a geoscientist?

Jesse Kelsch

Instructor of Geology, Sul Ross State University

Know your long-term purpose – not just your economic hopes and dreams but the kind of work that will satisfy you, keep you interested, and make you proud of your contribution to society. Be open to different job openings in different fields and sectors though and recognize not just that your goals may change, but also that different types of work could fulfill that purpose through your career.

ScoreGeoscientistUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $110,629

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.5

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%

Asian 5.67%

Black or African American 0.91%

Hispanic or Latino 6.37%

Unknown 4.70%

White 81.77%

Gender

female 24.04%

male 75.96%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a geoscientist

Explore geoscientist education requirements

Most common geoscientist degrees

Bachelor's

65.4 %

Master's

26.5 %

Doctorate

5.9 %

Start to develop specific geoscientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Seismic Data	8.73%
Oil Gas	8.19%
Data Collection	6.61%
Reservoir Characterization	6.01%
Petrel	5.97%

Complete relevant geoscientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New geoscientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a geoscientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real geoscientist resumes.

Research geoscientist duties and responsibilities

Manage, design and supervise geologic investigation drilling plans relate to environmental, geotechnical and mining projects.
Collect locality data using GPS hand-held units.
Perform temporary water line stake outs using Trimble GPS unit.
Advise on selecting models using Seisware, Petra, and PHDWin.

Prepare your geoscientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your geoscientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a geoscientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable geoscientist resume templates

Build a professional geoscientist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your geoscientist resume.