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Best states for a staff geologist
Quoted expert
Lysa Chizmadia
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and life, physical, and social science careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to staff geologist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for staff geologists.Our research shows that Louisiana is the best state in the country for staff geologists.
We figured that the best places for staff geologist jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Louisiana is the best state for staff geologist jobs, whereas Wisconsin is the worst.
10 best states for staff geologists in 2025
1. Louisiana
Total staff geologist jobs: 277 Average annual salary: $107,555 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.012. Maine
Total staff geologist jobs: 139 Average annual salary: $94,141 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.223. Pennsylvania
Total staff geologist jobs: 1,575 Average annual salary: $89,804 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.574. Texas
Total staff geologist jobs: 1,486 Average annual salary: $135,264 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $220,000 Location Quotient: 0.855. Rhode Island
Total staff geologist jobs: 138 Average annual salary: $89,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.326. California
Total staff geologist jobs: 3,998 Average annual salary: $95,174 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.597. Washington
Total staff geologist jobs: 661 Average annual salary: $91,973 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.058. Virginia
Total staff geologist jobs: 628 Average annual salary: $102,010 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 0.779. Oklahoma
Total staff geologist jobs: 170 Average annual salary: $101,459 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 0.6410. Hawaii
Total staff geologist jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $104,677 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
Staff geologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff geologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff geologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $107,555 | $62,000 | 4,684,333 | 277 |
| 2 | Maine | $94,141 | $55,000 | 1,335,907 | 139 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $89,804 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,575 |
| 4 | Texas | $135,264 | $82,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,486 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $89,235 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 138 |
| 6 | California | $95,174 | $55,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,998 |
| 7 | Washington | $91,973 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 661 |
| 8 | Virginia | $102,010 | $58,000 | 8,470,020 | 628 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $101,459 | $58,000 | 3,930,864 | 170 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $104,677 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 68 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $88,005 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,162 |
| 12 | Idaho | $92,252 | $53,000 | 1,716,943 | 105 |
| 13 | Alabama | $84,515 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 367 |
| 14 | Nevada | $83,719 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 223 |
| 15 | Ohio | $84,438 | $47,000 | 11,658,609 | 790 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $85,831 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 774 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $86,246 | $48,000 | 1,815,857 | 90 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $88,373 | $50,000 | 3,588,184 | 242 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $85,853 | $49,000 | 1,342,795 | 128 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $86,711 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 274 |
| 21 | New York | $85,756 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,167 |
| 22 | Colorado | $85,014 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 439 |
| 23 | Delaware | $86,489 | $49,000 | 961,939 | 69 |
| 24 | Maryland | $84,596 | $47,000 | 6,052,177 | 506 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $84,298 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 151 |
| 26 | Alaska | $89,229 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 35 |
| 27 | Montana | $81,909 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 81 |
| 28 | Michigan | $81,480 | $45,000 | 9,962,311 | 508 |
| 29 | Vermont | $80,536 | $45,000 | 623,657 | 66 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $78,426 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 424 |
| 31 | Utah | $77,451 | $43,000 | 3,101,833 | 280 |
| 32 | Arizona | $78,230 | $44,000 | 7,016,270 | 456 |
| 33 | Oregon | $75,817 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 397 |
| 34 | Florida | $77,901 | $45,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,154 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $79,276 | $44,000 | 2,088,070 | 128 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $78,505 | $44,000 | 4,454,189 | 221 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $79,010 | $43,000 | 2,984,100 | 95 |
| 38 | Illinois | $65,862 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,149 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $71,126 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 519 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $75,986 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 24 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $74,906 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 25 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $75,200 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 32 |
| 43 | Kansas | $66,057 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 209 |
| 44 | Missouri | $62,576 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 442 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $59,151 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 193 |
| 46 | Georgia | $61,383 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 746 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $61,251 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 148 |
| 48 | Iowa | $62,475 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 221 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $60,189 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 597 |
| 50 | Indiana | $54,978 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 462 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $55,782 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 339 |
Highest paying states for staff geologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Geologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $107,555 |
| 2 | Maine | $94,141 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $89,804 |
| 4 | Texas | $135,264 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $89,235 |
| 6 | California | $95,174 |
| 7 | Washington | $91,973 |
| 8 | Virginia | $102,010 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $101,459 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $104,677 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $88,005 |
| 12 | Idaho | $92,252 |
| 13 | Alabama | $84,515 |
| 14 | Nevada | $83,719 |
| 15 | Ohio | $84,438 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $85,831 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $86,246 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $88,373 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $85,853 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $86,711 |
| 21 | New York | $85,756 |
| 22 | Colorado | $85,014 |
| 23 | Delaware | $86,489 |
| 24 | Maryland | $84,596 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $84,298 |
| 26 | Alaska | $89,229 |
| 27 | Montana | $81,909 |
| 28 | Michigan | $81,480 |
| 29 | Vermont | $80,536 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $78,426 |
| 31 | Utah | $77,451 |
| 32 | Arizona | $78,230 |
| 33 | Oregon | $75,817 |
| 34 | Florida | $77,901 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $79,276 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $78,505 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $79,010 |
| 38 | Illinois | $65,862 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $71,126 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $75,986 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $74,906 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $75,200 |
| 43 | Kansas | $66,057 |
| 44 | Missouri | $62,576 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $59,151 |
| 46 | Georgia | $61,383 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $61,251 |
| 48 | Iowa | $62,475 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $60,189 |
| 50 | Indiana | $54,978 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $55,782 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff geologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff 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