Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
What Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers Do
Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth's internal composition, atmospheres, and oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 5 of 5Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Job training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Geographyimportance 4.0/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
- English Languageimportance 3.8/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.8/5
- Physicsimportance 3.6/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.2/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.8/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.2/5
- Telephone Conversations4.1/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.1/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.0/5
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.
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists96% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists95% skill match
- Animal Scientists95% skill match
- Financial Examiners94% skill match
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators94% skill match
- General Internal Medicine Physicians94% skill match
- Soil and Plant Scientists94% skill match
- Emergency Medicine Physicians93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.3/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- ACD Systems Canvas
- Alara CRystalView
- Aquifer test software
- Atoll GeoCAD
- BOSS Didger
- Bentley Systems gINT
- Bilko
- ChemStat
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- 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 geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Midland, TX20.14× national avg
- 2Fairbanks-College, AK12.86× national avg
- 3Corvallis, OR9.50× national avg
- 4Gulfport-Biloxi, MS7.02× national avg
- 5Anchorage, AK6.18× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Soil and Plant ScientistsLateral Move
- Atmospheric and Space ScientistsLateral Move
- Nurse PractitionersCareer Change
- Medical DosimetristsCareer Change
See the full career path from Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers →
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
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (Pittsburgh, PA)grads earn ~$57,456