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What is a staff geologist and how to become one
Staff geologists are earth scientists who perform field explorations, analyze environmental conditions to understand the earth's chronology, and generate reports for the assigned project. As a staff geologist, you are expected to provide geological expertise to team members when they need it. It is also a point of duty to collect soil samples and well water samples and take them to the laboratory for analysis. You are charged to operate geological equipment for data collection and analysis effectively.
Maintaining documentation of all related geological analyses for management is also a part of your responsibility. In addition, you are expected to work closely with field crews for planning, executing and coordinating projects to make sure it is completed on time. The educational requirement to qualify for this role is to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in either geology, geology engineering, or environmental science. It is a very lucrative job as you can earn as much as $97,871 on average in a year.
What general advice would you give to a staff geologist?
Nelson Ham Ph.D.
Professor of Geology and Environmental Science, St. Norbert College
Avg. Salary $108,966
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%
Asian 3.61%
Black or African American 1.09%
Hispanic or Latino 6.85%
Unknown 4.79%
White 83.04%
Genderfemale 24.47%
male 75.53%
Age - 44American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 44Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Staff geologist career paths
Key steps to become a staff geologist
Explore staff geologist education requirements
Start to develop specific staff geologist skills
Skills Percentages Data Collection 10.05% OSHA 7.14% HAZWOPER 6.84% Technical Reports 5.71% Geotechnical 4.88% Complete relevant staff geologist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff geologists 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 staff geologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff geologist resumes.Research staff geologist duties and 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 your staff geologist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff geologist 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 staff geologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
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Build a professional staff geologist 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 staff geologist resume.
Apply for staff geologist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a staff geologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first staff geologist job
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Average staff geologist salary
The average staff geologist salary in the United States is $108,966 per year or $52 per hour. Staff geologist salaries range between $62,000 and $189,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do staff geologists rate their job?
Staff geologist reviews
Understanding the earth and finding solution to problems caused by humans.
Hard to find a job.
not much.
Inconsistent working schedule, have to fight for billable work against other geologists within my company, insanely long hours, travel to mostly unsafe areas.
Combination of field and office work, be able to complete the project from start to end
Low paying job if you work for a small company
Updated January 8, 2025
