Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
What Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians Do
Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to obtain data indicating resources such as metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum. Analyze mud and drill cuttings. Chart pressure, temperature, and other characteristics of wells or bore holes.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.5/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.2/5
- Physicsimportance 3.1/5
- Geographyimportance 3.1/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.7/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4/5
- Telephone Conversations4.3/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Forest and Conservation Technicians96% skill match
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians93% skill match
- Prepress Technicians and Workers93% skill match
- Log Graders and Scalers93% skill match
- Meter Readers, Utilities92% skill match
- Parts Salespersons92% skill match
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists92% skill match
- Dental Hygienists92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.8/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.6/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Cautiousness
- Adaptability
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeHigh
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Corpus Christi, TX8.08× national avg
- 2Oklahoma City, OK6.68× national avg
- 3Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX4.61× national avg
- 4Reno, NV4.46× national avg
- 5San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX3.21× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- SurveyorsCareer Change
- Forensic Science TechniciansLateral Move
- Nuclear Medicine TechnologistsCareer Change
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsCareer Change
See the full career path from Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Geology/Earth Science, General
- Washington State University (Pullman, WA)grads earn ~$45,002
- Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH)grads earn ~$62,360
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle, WA)grads earn ~$66,845
- Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)grads earn ~$86,410
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (University Park, PA)grads earn ~$81,092