How much does a Geologist make?

Updated Sep 15, 2022

Experience

Industry

$99,027 / yrTotal Pay
$81,839 / yrBase Pay
$17,188 / yrAdditional Pay

$99,027

 / yr
$63K$159K
Most Likely Range
Possible Range

The estimated total pay for a Geologist is $99,027 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $81,839 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $17,188 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

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Total Pay Trajectory

For Geologist

$99,027 /yr
Geologist
$138,908 /yr
Senior Geologist
No Salary Reports
Adjunct Geologist
See Full Career Path

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Top Paying Companies

For a Geologist in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Geologist in United States. Employers include Anadarko Petroleum, Noble Energy and Occidental Petroleum.

1
Anadarko Petroleum
$199,733/yr
2
Noble Energy
$186,757/yr
Total Pay Trajectory

For Geologist

$99,027 /yr
Geologist
$138,908 /yr
Senior Geologist
No Salary Reports
Adjunct Geologist

Download as data table

What are total pay estimates for a Geologist at different companies?

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Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
AECOM
3.8
GeologistSee 79 salaries from all locations

$85,334

 / yr

$161,750

 / yr

$171,685

 / yr

$88,645

 / yr

$174,983

 / yr

$180,852

 / yr

$104,874

 / yr

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$80,149

 / yr

$162,814

 / yr

$182,810

 / yr

$160,977

 / yr

$152,601

 / yr

$100,152

 / yr

$87,986

 / yr

$78,107

 / yr

$89,328

 / yr

$47

 / hr

$137,325

 / yr

$91,600

 / yr

$167,011

 / yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 960

Top Paying Industries

For a Geologist in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Geologist in United States are Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $148,330, Information Technology with a median total pay of $126,704, Manufacturing with a median total pay of $116,242, Financial Services with a median total pay of $105,349, and Retail & Wholesale with a median total pay of $104,874.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Energy, Mining & UtilitiesEnergy, Mining & Utilities$148,330

    18% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$126,704

    4% Higher than other industries

  • ManufacturingManufacturing$116,242

    5% Lower than other industries

  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$105,349

    15% Lower than other industries

  • Retail & WholesaleRetail & Wholesale$104,874

    16% Lower than other industries

Energy, Mining & Utilities

Top paying companies in Energy, Mining & Utilities for Geologist are Anadarko Petroleum, Noble Energy, and Occidental Petroleum.

Anadarko PetroleumAnadarko Petroleum$199,733/yr
Noble EnergyNoble Energy$186,757/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Research & Science?

Research and science jobs offer pay well above the national average. Increased demand for STEM workers is increasing salaries in research and science. Jobs in these fields, however, often require higher education at the graduate level and/or specialized training. While domain-specific expertise gives workers in these fields access to very specialized jobs, there are also many employers who hire STEM workers for their general data and technology skills.

Recent Salaries Shared

For geologist

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Research Geologist

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$115,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Geologist

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$118,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Petroleum Geologist

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$132,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Geologist

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$100,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Petrophysicist

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$150,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday
Geologist

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$80,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday
Geologist

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$54,103

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Wellsite Geologist

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$23

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Geologist

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$122,000

/yr

$110K | $12K

Submitted 2 days ago

7-9 years
2 days ago

Geologist pay FAQ

The national average salary for a Geologist is $81,839 per year in United States. Filter by location to see a Geologist salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 2309 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Geologist employees.

The highest salary for a Geologist in United States is $127,047 per year.

The lowest salary for a Geologist in United States is $52,718 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Geologist or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Geologist.

Pay for geologists ranges and can be similar to pay for anthropologists and archeologists at the lower end, or more similar to civil engineers, environmental engineers, hydrologists, and natural science managers at the higher end. Geoscientists and geologists with higher degrees, such as a master's degree in a related field or a doctorate in geoscience or physics can expect to earn higher pay.

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Join thousands of real professionals anonymously talking about salaries in their industry

According to anonymous ratings from Glassdoor, 69% of geologists are satisfied with their salary. In addition to salary, geologists can also earn an estimated $17,187.73 in additional pay per year, which could come from benefits, such as bonuses or profit sharing.

Join thousands of real professionals anonymously talking about salaries in their industry

The total pay range for geologists is anywhere from $62,686.89 to $158,500.65. If you follow the typical career path for geologists, you may be able to expect an estimated total pay of $99,027.03 once you've gained some years of experience in the field. After reaching that level of expertise, it's common to take on higher-level positions, such as senior or adjunct geologist.

Learn more about negotiating salaries from thousands of other real professionals

There are a few steps you can take in order to boost your earning potential throughout your career as a geologist.

You can enter the geology field with a bachelor's degree and a license as required by the state you're working in, but pursuing a master's degree could help deepen your knowledge and make you more qualified for high-paying positions.

Getting special certifications in your chosen field of geology can also help you stand out. For example, you could become a certified coal geologist, certified petroleum geologist, or certified petroleum geophysicist.

In order to set yourself up for success during salary negotiations, whether you're discussing a raise with a current employer or looking for a new geologist job, it's helpful to look into what others are earning in your area so you have concrete data to back up your expectations.

Next, take stock of your most in-demand skills, like conducting environmental studies and providing reports, planning and supervising field studies, using statistical software, and analyzing data. Be prepared to talk through how you've used those skills throughout your career and how your unique experiences in the field are valuable.