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Best states for a project geologist
Quoted expert
Lysa Chizmadia
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Project geologist opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for project geologists, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for project geologists.Although there are abundant project geologist jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Nevada is the best state in the country for project geologist jobs.
Nevada is the best state for jobs for project geologists, and Georgia is the worst. The most common pay in Nevada is $87,178, while the median pay in Georgia is $55,598.Nevada is the best state, and Socorro is the city with the highest pay for project geologists.
10 best states for project geologists in 2026
1. Nevada
Total project geologist jobs: 308 Average annual salary: $87,178 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 3.04
2. Oklahoma
Total project geologist jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $92,138 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 2.18
3. Maine
Total project geologist jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $83,037 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 3.15
4. Louisiana
Total project geologist jobs: 296 Average annual salary: $97,839 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.91
5. Idaho
Total project geologist jobs: 227 Average annual salary: $85,720 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 2.85
6. California
Total project geologist jobs: 460 Average annual salary: $110,625 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 0.32
7. Texas
Total project geologist jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $112,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.19
8. Ohio
Total project geologist jobs: 1,438 Average annual salary: $76,920 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 2.9
9. Colorado
Total project geologist jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $106,068 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.15
10. West Virginia
Total project geologist jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $78,127 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 2.12
Project geologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a project geologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a project geologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $87,178 | $50,000 | 2,998,039 | 308 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $92,138 | $52,000 | 3,930,864 | 326 |
| 3 | Maine | $83,037 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 203 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $97,839 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 296 |
| 5 | Idaho | $85,720 | $50,000 | 1,716,943 | 227 |
| 6 | California | $110,625 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 460 |
| 7 | Texas | $112,189 | $66,000 | 28,304,596 | 186 |
| 8 | Ohio | $76,920 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,438 |
| 9 | Colorado | $106,068 | $63,000 | 5,607,154 | 42 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $78,127 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 157 |
| 11 | Virginia | $91,367 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 108 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $78,378 | $45,000 | 5,024,369 | 474 |
| 13 | Washington | $86,509 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 124 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $100,512 | $70,000 | 1,427,538 | 14 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $80,594 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 129 |
| 16 | Alaska | $84,784 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 34 |
| 17 | Alabama | $76,402 | $43,000 | 4,874,747 | 383 |
| 18 | Michigan | $74,503 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,003 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $75,395 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 225 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $78,717 | $46,000 | 1,059,639 | 22 |
| 21 | Montana | $77,519 | $46,000 | 1,050,493 | 25 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $78,436 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 89 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $70,495 | $43,000 | 755,393 | 168 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $71,959 | $41,000 | 6,715,984 | 736 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $71,833 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 287 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $72,213 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 383 |
| 27 | Delaware | $77,575 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 4 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $75,786 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 34 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $69,604 | $42,000 | 869,666 | 106 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $70,965 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 167 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $77,345 | $46,000 | 6,859,819 | 64 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $70,435 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 13 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $76,602 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 57 |
| 34 | Maryland | $75,927 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 49 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $65,243 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,028 |
| 36 | New York | $76,373 | $44,000 | 19,849,399 | 76 |
| 37 | Vermont | $71,176 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 14 |
| 38 | Kansas | $61,483 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 369 |
| 39 | Arizona | $71,646 | $41,000 | 7,016,270 | 59 |
| 40 | Florida | $69,509 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 281 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $57,207 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 299 |
| 42 | Missouri | $58,154 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 775 |
| 43 | Iowa | $57,777 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 431 |
| 44 | Oregon | $70,091 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 36 |
| 45 | Utah | $69,880 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 9 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $51,060 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 770 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $54,046 | $30,000 | 3,004,279 | 305 |
| 48 | Indiana | $50,589 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 766 |
| 49 | Illinois | $60,396 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 124 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $54,276 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 100 |
| 51 | Georgia | $55,598 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 76 |
Highest paying states for project geologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Project Geologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $87,178 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $92,138 |
| 3 | Maine | $83,037 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $97,839 |
| 5 | Idaho | $85,720 |
| 6 | California | $110,625 |
| 7 | Texas | $112,189 |
| 8 | Ohio | $76,920 |
| 9 | Colorado | $106,068 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $78,127 |
| 11 | Virginia | $91,367 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $78,378 |
| 13 | Washington | $86,509 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $100,512 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $80,594 |
| 16 | Alaska | $84,784 |
| 17 | Alabama | $76,402 |
| 18 | Michigan | $74,503 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $75,395 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $78,717 |
| 21 | Montana | $77,519 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $78,436 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $70,495 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $71,959 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $71,833 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $72,213 |
| 27 | Delaware | $77,575 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $75,786 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $69,604 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $70,965 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $77,345 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $70,435 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $76,602 |
| 34 | Maryland | $75,927 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $65,243 |
| 36 | New York | $76,373 |
| 37 | Vermont | $71,176 |
| 38 | Kansas | $61,483 |
| 39 | Arizona | $71,646 |
| 40 | Florida | $69,509 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $57,207 |
| 42 | Missouri | $58,154 |
| 43 | Iowa | $57,777 |
| 44 | Oregon | $70,091 |
| 45 | Utah | $69,880 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $51,060 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $54,046 |
| 48 | Indiana | $50,589 |
| 49 | Illinois | $60,396 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $54,276 |
| 51 | Georgia | $55,598 |
Expert opinions on the best states for project geologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for project geologists to find work opportunities?
Lysa Chizmadia
Associate Professor, Georgia Southwestern State University
Petrochemical, Industrial, Environmental, Pharmacology. I think the highest concentrations of these fields would be in California, Texas, and New Jersey.
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Updated January 8, 2025