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The differences between staff geologists and field 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 field geologist. Additionally, a field geologist has an average salary of $109,947, 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 field geologist are data collection, geotechnical, and well design.
| Staff Geologist | Field Geologist | |
| Yearly salary | $108,966 | $109,947 |
| Hourly rate | $52.39 | $52.86 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 68,971 | 45,359 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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 Field Geologist is specialized in a certain field of geology, such as minerology, paleontology, or geotechnology. They study the earth's crust to obtain an accurate picture of its structure, history, and composition.
Staff geologists and field geologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Geologist | Field Geologist | |
| Average salary | $108,966 | $109,947 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $189,000 | Between $65,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | Corpus Christi, TX | - |
| Highest paying state | Texas | - |
| Best paying company | ConocoPhillips | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a staff geologist and a field geologist in terms of educational background:
| Staff Geologist | Field Geologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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 field geologists' demographics:
| Staff Geologist | Field Geologist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5% | Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8% |
| 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, 0.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 5.5% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |