Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between staff geologists and development geologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a staff geologist and a development geologist. Additionally, a development geologist has an average salary of $110,970, which is higher than the $108,966 average annual salary of a staff geologist.
The top three skills for a staff geologist include data collection, OSHA and HAZWOPER. The most important skills for a development geologist are reservoir characterization, AFE, and production data.
| Staff Geologist | Development Geologist | |
| Yearly salary | $108,966 | $110,970 |
| Hourly rate | $52.39 | $53.35 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 68,971 | 45,844 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Staff Geologist performs field explorations, analyzes environmental conditionals, and generates reports for the assigned project. They can work for government environmental agencies, mining companies, engineering firms, or city planning offices.
A Development Geologist is responsible for geological static modeling and database management. They report best-practice technological advances to management.
Staff geologists and development geologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Geologist | Development Geologist | |
| Average salary | $108,966 | $110,970 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $189,000 | Between $71,000 And $171,000 |
| Highest paying City | Corpus Christi, TX | The Woodlands, TX |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Texas |
| Best paying company | ConocoPhillips | Chevron |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a staff geologist and a development geologist in terms of educational background:
| Staff Geologist | Development Geologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Geology | Geology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between staff geologists' and development geologists' demographics:
| Staff Geologist | Development Geologist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 3.6% White, 83.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 1.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 4.0% White, 83.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |