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Best states for a research geologist
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a research geologist at Exxon Mobil, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for research geologists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. As research geologists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for research geologists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a research geologist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
Maine is the best state for jobs for research geologists, and Arkansas is the worst. The most common pay in Maine is $116,792, while the median pay in Arkansas is $75,281.Maine is the best state, and Socorro is the city with the highest pay for research geologists.
10 best states for research geologists in 2025
1. Maine
Total research geologist jobs: 108 Average annual salary: $116,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
2. Texas
Total research geologist jobs: 1,367 Average annual salary: $139,025 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
3. California
Total research geologist jobs: 3,749 Average annual salary: $120,772 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.78
4. Oklahoma
Total research geologist jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $126,961 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. West Virginia
Total research geologist jobs: 115 Average annual salary: $110,479 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
6. Tennessee
Total research geologist jobs: 481 Average annual salary: $106,795 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
7. Pennsylvania
Total research geologist jobs: 1,210 Average annual salary: $104,648 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
8. Virginia
Total research geologist jobs: 698 Average annual salary: $121,127 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Ohio
Total research geologist jobs: 770 Average annual salary: $109,887 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Michigan
Total research geologist jobs: 711 Average annual salary: $105,203 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
Research geologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research geologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research geologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $116,792 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 108 |
| 2 | Texas | $139,025 | $96,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,367 |
| 3 | California | $120,772 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,749 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $126,961 | $87,000 | 3,930,864 | 202 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $110,479 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 115 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $106,795 | $73,000 | 6,715,984 | 481 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $104,648 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,210 |
| 8 | Virginia | $121,127 | $82,000 | 8,470,020 | 698 |
| 9 | Ohio | $109,887 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 770 |
| 10 | Michigan | $105,203 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 711 |
| 11 | Idaho | $112,935 | $78,000 | 1,716,943 | 109 |
| 12 | Colorado | $109,985 | $75,000 | 5,607,154 | 570 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $104,631 | $71,000 | 869,666 | 85 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $101,737 | $69,000 | 1,059,639 | 132 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $109,821 | $74,000 | 4,454,189 | 176 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $110,788 | $75,000 | 5,024,369 | 158 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $102,814 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 179 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $101,182 | $68,000 | 1,342,795 | 171 |
| 19 | Montana | $105,319 | $73,000 | 1,050,493 | 88 |
| 20 | Vermont | $100,093 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 86 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $99,477 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 51 |
| 22 | Washington | $113,294 | $79,000 | 7,405,743 | 1 |
| 23 | Alabama | $104,313 | $71,000 | 4,874,747 | 141 |
| 24 | Nevada | $103,677 | $71,000 | 2,998,039 | 120 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $99,889 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 61 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $100,981 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 267 |
| 27 | Alaska | $111,682 | $88,000 | 739,795 | 2 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $106,501 | $78,000 | 1,427,538 | 64 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $97,789 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 638 |
| 30 | Delaware | $99,700 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 100 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $97,994 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 807 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $101,471 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 2 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $98,712 | $67,000 | 4,684,333 | 164 |
| 34 | Oregon | $90,135 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 518 |
| 35 | Utah | $90,892 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 258 |
| 36 | Missouri | $89,498 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 508 |
| 37 | Illinois | $91,032 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 966 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $92,819 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 112 |
| 39 | Kansas | $91,817 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 183 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $87,127 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 180 |
| 41 | Maryland | $98,962 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 3 |
| 42 | Arizona | $86,521 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 472 |
| 43 | Florida | $88,162 | $60,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,230 |
| 44 | New York | $98,162 | $66,000 | 19,849,399 | 9 |
| 45 | Iowa | $89,430 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 186 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $98,996 | $67,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $77,156 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 700 |
| 48 | Indiana | $76,106 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 455 |
| 49 | Georgia | $78,912 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 689 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $75,133 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 366 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $75,281 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 121 |
Highest paying states for research geologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Geologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $116,792 |
| 2 | Texas | $139,025 |
| 3 | California | $120,772 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $126,961 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $110,479 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $106,795 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $104,648 |
| 8 | Virginia | $121,127 |
| 9 | Ohio | $109,887 |
| 10 | Michigan | $105,203 |
| 11 | Idaho | $112,935 |
| 12 | Colorado | $109,985 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $104,631 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $101,737 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $109,821 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $110,788 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $102,814 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $101,182 |
| 19 | Montana | $105,319 |
| 20 | Vermont | $100,093 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $99,477 |
| 22 | Washington | $113,294 |
| 23 | Alabama | $104,313 |
| 24 | Nevada | $103,677 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $99,889 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $100,981 |
| 27 | Alaska | $111,682 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $106,501 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $97,789 |
| 30 | Delaware | $99,700 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $97,994 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $101,471 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $98,712 |
| 34 | Oregon | $90,135 |
| 35 | Utah | $90,892 |
| 36 | Missouri | $89,498 |
| 37 | Illinois | $91,032 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $92,819 |
| 39 | Kansas | $91,817 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $87,127 |
| 41 | Maryland | $98,962 |
| 42 | Arizona | $86,521 |
| 43 | Florida | $88,162 |
| 44 | New York | $98,162 |
| 45 | Iowa | $89,430 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $98,996 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $77,156 |
| 48 | Indiana | $76,106 |
| 49 | Georgia | $78,912 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $75,133 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $75,281 |
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Updated January 8, 2025