How to hire a staff geologist

How to hire a staff geologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step staff geologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a staff geologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new staff geologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a staff geologist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the staff geologist you need to hire. Certain staff geologist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A staff geologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff geologists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of staff geologists.

   Type of Staff Geologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff Geologist	Geoscientists study the physical aspects of the Earth, such as its composition, structure, and processes, to learn about its past, present, and future.	$29-90
   Environmental Scientist	Environmental scientists are responsible for analyzing environmental issues and creating their solutions. They protect the environment together with human health by using their understanding of natural science... Show more	$20-40
   Geology Internship	In a geology internship, an intern has the opportunity to gain insights and practical experience while performing various support tasks under the directives and supervision of a geologist or manager. Their duties typically include working on different projects, conducting research, doing fieldwork, gathering and analyzing samples, collecting photographs or videos as evidence, completing surveys and assessments, and producing reports, submitting them according to protocols and standards... Show more	$38-70

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Collection
   • OSHA
   • HAZWOPER
   • Technical Reports
   • Geotechnical
   • Surface Water
   • Groundwater Samples
   • Site Investigations
   • Construction Oversight
   • GIS
   • Well Design
   • Remediation Projects
   • Data Analysis
   • Geologic Maps

   Check all skills

   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.

   More staff geologist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the staff geologist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A staff geologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a staff geologist in Georgia may be lower than in Texas, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level staff geologist. Additionally, a staff geologist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average staff geologist salary

   $108,966yearly

   $52.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff geologist salary

   $62,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average staff geologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Texas	$143,529	$69
   2	Oklahoma	$104,780	$50
   3	Virginia	$104,556	$50
   4	California	$95,911	$46
   5	Washington	$91,749	$44
   6	Colorado	$88,689	$43
   7	New Jersey	$85,254	$41
   8	Montana	$85,046	$41
   9	Maryland	$84,582	$41
   10	Nevada	$84,066	$40
   11	New Mexico	$79,939	$38
   12	Florida	$78,937	$38
   13	North Dakota	$76,492	$37
   14	Illinois	$66,374	$32
   15	Georgia	$59,756	$29
   16	North Carolina	$58,998	$28
   17	Indiana	$54,616	$26

   Average staff geologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ConocoPhillips	$151,475	$72.82
   2	Occidental Petroleum	$139,704	$67.17
   3	Intertek	$134,531	$64.68	3
   4	RSM US	$122,884	$59.08	1
   5	TransAtlantic Petroleum	$118,542	$56.99
   6	Sea	$118,134	$56.80	1
   7	Broken Hill Proprietary	$116,580	$56.05
   8	Geomatrix Consultants	$116,580	$56.05
   9	Core Laboratories	$115,726	$55.64
   10	Sealaska	$107,688	$51.77
   11	Ormat Technologies	$107,483	$51.67
   12	Apex Companies	$105,336	$50.64	1
   13	Smith-Emery	$103,278	$49.65
   14	HydroGeoLogic	$102,497	$49.28	3
   15	Geosyntec Consultants	$98,170	$47.20	16
   16	Golder Associates	$96,328	$46.31
   17	Barrick Gold	$92,673	$44.55	5
   18	Leighton Group	$90,062	$43.30
   19	Crux Subsurface	$87,647	$42.14
   20	Universal Engineering Sciences	$84,038	$40.40	15

4. Writing a staff geologist job description

   A job description for a staff geologist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a staff geologist job description:

   Staff geologist job description example

   Burns & McDonnell's team in Denver is looking for a Staff Geologist to support environmental investigation, groundwater monitoring, and remediation projects\. Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee\-owned firm ranked numerous times on FORTUNE's List of 100 Best Companies to Work For and voted as a Best Place to Work in cities across the United States\.
   
   This position offers challenging work with significant project variety at a successful, growing company\. The position offers the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of technology applied in the remediation industry, including 3D visualization modeling, forensic studies and investigation, high resolution site characterization \(HRSC\), remediation systems engineering design, etc\.
   
   This position requires experience performing environmental site assessments, logging of soil borings, subsurface soil sampling, installation and sampling of monitoring wells, statistical analysis, geologic interpretation, report & permit preparation, and other activities, as required\.
   
   The Staff Geologist will be part of an experienced team working on a variety of site investigation, groundwater monitoring, and remediation projects and will generally perform the following duties:
   
   + Execute environmental site assessments, including subsurface soil and groundwater sampling, air monitoring, monitoring well installation, soils logging, etc\.
   
   + Assist in the preparation of environmental investigation work plans, reports, feasibility studies, monitoring reports, etc\.
   
   + Lead the preparation of groundwater monitoring reports, including the statistical analysis of groundwater data\.
   + Subcontractor contracting, scheduling, and management of field activities\.
   
   + Assist in remediation systems design, including in\-situ remedies, cover systems, water recovery and treatment, etc\.
   
   + Work closely with project teams and field personnel to complete and review projects within scope, budget and schedule\. Perform project tasks and assignments within budgeted hours and deadlines\.
   
   + All other duties assigned\.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Geology, or closely related field from an accredited program\. A master's degree in geoscience is preferred\.
   
   + Minimum of 4 years of related experience required completing environmental investigations, analyzing investigation data, preparing environmental reports, etc\. Previous consulting experience is a plus\.
   
   + OSHA 40\-hour HAZWOPER training \(and annual updates\) is required\.
   
   + Assisting with or conducting Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
   
   + Experience in conducting Phase II site investigations and the collection of environmental media samples \(soil, sediment, groundwater, etc\.\), logging soil borings, installing and developing monitoring wells, analytical data interpretation is required\.
   
   + Experience with and working knowledge of State and/or Federal regulations desired\.
   
   + Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong problem\-solving abilities\.
   
   + Must possess strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team framework\.
   
   + Self\-motivation and the ability to multi\-task \(write reports, analyze data, perform design tasks, etc\.\) are also a prerequisite\.
   
   + Professional registration as a geologist or the ability to obtain registration within six months of employment\.
   
   Compensation Range
   
   $78,050 \- $96,450
   
   The expected compensation range for this position is displayed in accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act\. The final agreed upon compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: individual education, qualifications, prior work experience and work location\. The total annual compensation package will consist of a base salary and eligibility to participate in our discretionary year\-end incentive bonus program\.
   
   Benefits
   
   Our extensive benefits package takes care of you so that you can focus on doing great work\. From insurance and disability to time off and wellness programs, we provide the tools to meet your needs\. As part of being 100% employee\-owned, eligible employees participate in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan \(ESOP\) in addition to our 401\(k\) retirement program\. For more information, please visit the Benefits & Wellness page\.
   
   EEO/Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans
   
   **Job** Geology
   
   **Primary Location** US\-CO\-Denver
   
   **Schedule:** Full\-time
   
   **Travel:** Yes, 25 % of the Time
   
   
   \#LI\-JJ \#ENS

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find staff geologists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your staff geologist job on Zippia to find and recruit staff geologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit staff geologists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new staff geologist

   Once you've found the staff geologist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new staff geologist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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