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Geologist Average Salary in United States 2024

How much money does a person working as Geologist make in United States?


Average Yearly Salary
155,000 USD
( 12,900 USD monthly)

LOW
80,700
USD
AVERAGE
155,000
USD
HIGH
238,000
USD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Geologist in United States typically earns around 155,000 USD. Salaries range from 80,700 USD (lowest) to 238,000 USD (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Geologist salaries in United States vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.



Geologist Pay Scale and Salaries in United States

Median and salary distribution United States Geologist yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
141,000 USD or more
10% of people earn
125,000 to 141,000 USD
20% of people earn
91,400 USD or less
65% of people earn
91,400 to 125,000 USD
Minimum Salary
80,700 USD
Median
141,000 USD
Maximum
238,000 USD




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Geologist in United States range from 80,700 USD (starting salary) to 238,000 USD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 141,000 USD, half of the professionals who work as Geologist in United States earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Geologist in United States earn less than 117,000 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 160,000 USD while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Geologist in United States compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 91,400 USD to 125,000 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 91,400 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 125,000 USD to 141,000 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 141,000 USD.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Geologist / United States

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
91,700 USD
2 - 5 Years+34%
123,000 USD
5 - 10 Years+30%
160,000 USD
10 - 15 Years+21%
194,000 USD
15 - 20 Years+9%
212,000 USD
20+ Years+5%
223,000 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience yearly United States Geologist
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Geologist and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 91,700 USD.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 123,000 USD, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 160,000 USD, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 194,000 USD, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 212,000 USD, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 223,000 USD, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Geologist / United States

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Geologist.

Bachelor's Degree
118,000 USD
Master's Degree+24%
147,000 USD
PhD+60%
234,000 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level yearly United States Geologist
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Geologist in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: Bachelor's Degree

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 118,000 USD.


Level 2: Master's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 147,000 USD, 24% more than the previous level.


Level 3: PhD

At this level, the average salary becomes 234,000 USD, 60% more than the previous level.



Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,600 USD to 119,000 USD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.


Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Geologist / United States

Salary comparison by gender United States Geologist yearly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Geologist in United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.

Male
159,000 USD
Female-5%
152,000 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly United States
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Geologist / United States

How much are annual salary increments in United States for individuals working as Geologist? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Geologist in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 13% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States Geologist
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

United States / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United States is 6%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.



Bonus and Incentive Rates / Geologist / United States

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate United States Geologist
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44% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 56% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
56%
No Bonus
44%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Average Hourly Wage / Geologist / United States


75 USD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Geologist in United States is 75 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Geologist in United States is 39 USD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining-100%
Assistant Yard Manager88,500 USD-43%
Associate Analyst95,500 USD-38%
Associate Landman40,100 USD-74%
Auxiliary Equipment Operator37,500 USD-76%
Biomass Plant Technician41,100 USD-74%
Biomass Power Plant Manager121,000 USD-22%
Carbon Capture and Storage Specialist96,600 USD-38%
Chemical Plant Operator71,700 USD-54%
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer96,600 USD-38%
Chief Renewable Energy Officer164,000 USD+6%
Chief Sustainability Officer148,000 USD-5%
Completions Engineer82,500 USD-47%
Cost Controller66,100 USD-57%
Cost Engineer83,000 USD-47%
Crude Oil Marketing Representative96,900 USD-38%
Deep-sea Mining Engineer105,000 USD-32%
Dispatcher37,700 USD-76%
Distribution Manager123,000 USD-21%
Dragline Operator43,300 USD-72%
Driller Offsider32,800 USD-79%
Dump Truck Driver35,800 USD-77%
Electric and Gas Operations Manager209,000 USD+35%
Energy Advisor135,000 USD-13%
Energy Analyst124,000 USD-20%
Energy Auditor112,000 USD-28%
Energy Dispatch Director146,000 USD-6%
Energy Efficiency Auditor94,600 USD-39%
Energy Efficiency Consultant103,000 USD-34%
Energy Modeler85,100 USD-45%
Energy Policy Analyst90,500 USD-42%
Energy Storage Engineer96,100 USD-38%
Energy Technical Assistant54,600 USD-65%
Energy Technical Manager113,000 USD-27%
Energy Technical Support Manager113,000 USD-27%
Energy Technical Trainer74,300 USD-52%
Engineering Geologist161,000 USD+4%
Exploration Manager153,000 USD-1%
Field Safety Auditor102,000 USD-34%
Fluids Engineer85,500 USD-45%
Fuel Cell Engineer91,700 USD-41%
Fuel Cell Technician45,000 USD-71%
Fuels Handler41,900 USD-73%
Gas Compressor Operator38,200 USD-75%
Gas Distribution Plant Operator72,900 USD-53%
Gas Supply Manager127,000 USD-18%
Geologist155,000 USD-0%
Geophysicist165,000 USD+6%
Geothermal Engineer95,700 USD-38%
Geothermal Production Manager145,000 USD-7%
Geothermal Technician61,200 USD-61%
HSE Engineer87,800 USD-43%
HSE Officer55,000 USD-65%
HSE Supervisor65,100 USD-58%
HSEQ Administrator65,500 USD-58%
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engineer104,000 USD-33%
Inspector84,500 USD-46%
Instructor73,700 USD-53%
Instrument Designer70,300 USD-55%
Lead Technical Field Advisor115,000 USD-26%
Lithium Ion Battery Engineer79,200 USD-49%
Logistics and Tool Coordinator79,100 USD-49%
Maintenance Engineer93,500 USD-40%
Maintenance Superintendent77,900 USD-50%
Material Controller58,200 USD-63%
Methane Detection and Mitigation Specialist81,600 USD-47%
Mine Engineer86,000 USD-45%
Mine Surveyor96,000 USD-38%
Mining Project Administrator80,600 USD-48%
Mining Project Assistant63,400 USD-59%
Mining Project Controls Consultant93,300 USD-40%
Mining Project Coordinator79,900 USD-49%
Mining Project Engineer88,900 USD-43%
Mining Project Manager116,000 USD-25%
Mining Site Manager114,000 USD-27%
Mining Team Leader89,100 USD-43%
Natural Gas Engineer95,800 USD-38%
NDT Technician53,000 USD-66%
Net Zero Energy Consultant116,000 USD-25%
Oil Service Unit Operator44,300 USD-71%
Oil Trader117,000 USD-25%
Oilwell Pumper34,400 USD-78%
Petroleum Engineer 97,100 USD-37%
Petroleum Geologist153,000 USD-1%
Petroleum Pump System Operator48,300 USD-69%
Petroleum Technician51,800 USD-67%
Photovoltaic Engineer97,500 USD-37%
Pipeline Technician33,700 USD-78%
Power Coordinator55,300 USD-64%
Power Plant Operations Manager177,000 USD+14%
Power Plant Operator73,500 USD-53%
Radio Operator38,700 USD-75%
Reliability Engineer86,500 USD-44%
Renewable Energy Consultant137,000 USD-12%
Renewable Energy Engineer106,000 USD-32%
Renewable Energy Policy Analyst101,000 USD-35%
Reservoir Engineer83,400 USD-46%
Risk Analyst112,000 USD-28%
Roughneck86,000 USD-45%
Scaffolder56,200 USD-64%
Shutdown Engineer76,100 USD-51%
Smart Grid Analyst95,500 USD-38%
Smart Grid Engineer99,800 USD-36%
Solar Energy Installation Manager127,000 USD-18%
Solar Energy Systems Engineer92,300 USD-41%
Solar Photovoltaic Installer60,000 USD-61%
Solar Thermal Technician53,100 USD-66%
Supply Operations Manager142,000 USD-9%
Sustainability Analyst112,000 USD-28%
Sustainability Architect108,000 USD-30%
Sustainability Specialist138,000 USD-11%
Sustainable Energy Consultant112,000 USD-28%
System Development Advisor105,000 USD-32%
Tanker Truck Driver35,600 USD-77%
Unconventional Oil and Gas Engineer90,200 USD-42%
Utility Operator46,700 USD-70%
Waste-to-Energy Specialist125,000 USD-19%
Wind Energy Project Manager120,000 USD-23%
Wind Farm Technician64,700 USD-58%
Wind Turbine Technician70,100 USD-55%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Boston170,000 USD
Chicago178,000 USD
Houston176,000 USD
Las Vegas158,000 USD
Los Angeles183,000 USD
New York190,000 USD
San Francisco168,000 USD
San Jose178,000 USD

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Alabama170,000 USD
Alaska144,000 USD
Arizona166,000 USD
Arkansas149,000 USD
California183,000 USD
Colorado160,000 USD
Connecticut151,000 USD
Delaware150,000 USD
District of Columbia143,000 USD
Florida172,000 USD
Georgia181,000 USD
Hawaii150,000 USD
Idaho146,000 USD
Illinois167,000 USD
Indiana171,000 USD
Iowa154,000 USD
Kansas149,000 USD
Kentucky165,000 USD
Louisiana160,000 USD
Maine143,000 USD
Maryland173,000 USD
Massachusetts168,000 USD
Michigan169,000 USD
Minnesota155,000 USD
Mississippi157,000 USD
Missouri163,000 USD
Montana140,000 USD
Nebraska155,000 USD
Nevada154,000 USD
New Hampshire143,000 USD
New Jersey178,000 USD
New Mexico154,000 USD
New York174,000 USD
North Carolina164,000 USD
North Dakota144,000 USD
Ohio173,000 USD
Oklahoma152,000 USD
Oregon163,000 USD
Pennsylvania176,000 USD
Rhode Island140,000 USD
South Carolina168,000 USD
South Dakota146,000 USD
Tennessee165,000 USD
Texas170,000 USD
Utah155,000 USD
Vermont140,000 USD
Virginia164,000 USD
Washington175,000 USD
West Virginia150,000 USD
Wisconsin160,000 USD
Wyoming145,000 USD

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in United States is 5% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
92,800 USD
Public Sector+5%
97,500 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Geologist in United States?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 141,000 USD and 160,000 USD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Geologist in United States ranges from 80,700 USD to 117,000 USD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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