Mineralogist vs staff geologist

The differences between mineralogists 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 mineralogist and a staff geologist. Additionally, a staff geologist has an average salary of $108,966, which is higher than the $61,609 average annual salary of a mineralogist.

The top three skills for a mineralogist include XRD, scanning electron microscopy and XRF. The most important skills for a staff geologist are data collection, OSHA, and HAZWOPER.

Mineralogist vs staff geologist overview

	Mineralogist	Staff Geologist
Yearly salary	$61,609	$108,966
Hourly rate	$29.62	$52.39
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	201	68,971
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Mineralogist vs staff geologist salary

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

	Mineralogist	Staff Geologist
Average salary	$61,609	$108,966
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $128,000	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 mineralogist and staff geologist education

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

	Mineralogist	Staff Geologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Most common major	Geology	Geology
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mineralogist vs staff geologist demographics

Here are the differences between mineralogists' and staff geologists' demographics:

	Mineralogist	Staff Geologist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 68.2% Female, 31.8%	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 mineralogist and staff geologist duties and responsibilities

Mineralogist example responsibilities.

Develop and/or lead short courses and seminars on eolian sedimentology, the characterization of heterogeneous reservoirs and reservoir management.
Thin section and SEM descriptions of rocks relate to oil and gas exploration.
Recommend changes to concentrator operating procedures base on mineral liberation and composition, grind size, and historical MLA database.
Develop and/or lead short courses and seminars on eolian sedimentology, the characterization of heterogeneous reservoirs and reservoir management.
Receive introductory block modeling course from Vulcan.

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.

Mineralogist vs staff geologist skills

Common mineralogist skills

XRD, 35%
Scanning Electron Microscopy, 24%
XRF, 24%
Core Analysis, 17%

Common staff geologist skills

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

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Mineralogist vs Staff Geologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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