Geologist Average Salary in Houston 2024
How much money does a person working as Geologist make in Houston?
LOW
91,500
USD AVERAGE
176,000
USD HIGH
269,000
USD
A person working as Geologist in Houston typically earns around 176,000 USD. Salaries range from 91,500 USD (lowest) to 269,000 USD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Geologist salaries in Houston 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 Houston
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
159,000 USD or more
142,000 to 159,000 USD
104,000 USD or less
104,000 to 142,000 USD
 91,500 USD |
160,000 USD |
269,000 USD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Geologist in Houston range from 91,500 USD (starting salary) to 269,000 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 160,000 USD, half of the professionals who work as Geologist in Houston 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 Houston earn less than 133,000 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 182,000 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 Houston compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 104,000 USD to 142,000 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 104,000 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 142,000 USD to 159,000 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 159,000 USD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Geologist / Houston
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 104,000 USD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 140,000 USD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +30% | 181,000 USD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +21% | 220,000 USD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 240,000 USD |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 252,000 USD |
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.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 104,000 USD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 140,000 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 181,000 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 220,000 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 240,000 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 252,000 USD, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Geologist / Houston
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 | 134,000 USD | |
| Master's Degree | +24% | 166,000 USD |
| PhD | +60% | 266,000 USD |
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 134,000 USD.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 166,000 USD, 24% more than the previous level.
Level 3: PhD
At this level, the average salary becomes 266,000 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 and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Geologist / Houston
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 |
Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Geologist / Houston
How much are annual salary increments in Houston 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 % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
United States / All Professions
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
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
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?
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100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | % | |
| No Bonus | 100% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese 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 Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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 / Houston
85 USD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Geologist in Houston is 85 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
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 Houston is 44 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 Title | Average Salary |
| Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining |  -100% | |
| Assistant Yard Manager | 96,400 USD | -45% |
| Associate Analyst | 112,000 USD | -36% |
| Associate Landman | 47,200 USD | -73% |
| Auxiliary Equipment Operator | 41,300 USD | -77% |
| Biomass Plant Technician | 49,000 USD | -72% |
| Biomass Power Plant Manager | 139,000 USD | -21% |
| Carbon Capture and Storage Specialist | 112,000 USD | -36% |
| Chemical Plant Operator | 85,100 USD | -52% |
| Chief Contract Compliance Engineer | 111,000 USD | -37% |
| Chief Renewable Energy Officer | 189,000 USD |  +7% |
| Chief Sustainability Officer | 172,000 USD | -2% |
| Completions Engineer | 95,300 USD | -46% |
| Cost Controller | 72,700 USD | -59% |
| Cost Engineer | 97,000 USD | -45% |
| Crude Oil Marketing Representative | 108,000 USD | -39% |
| Deep-sea Mining Engineer | 125,000 USD | -29% |
| Dispatcher | 44,700 USD | -75% |
| Distribution Manager | 142,000 USD | -19% |
| Dragline Operator | 50,300 USD | -71% |
| Driller Offsider | 37,100 USD | -79% |
| Dump Truck Driver | 40,800 USD | -77% |
| Electric and Gas Operations Manager | 236,000 USD | +34% |
| Energy Advisor | 165,000 USD | -6% |
| Energy Analyst | 151,000 USD | -14% |
| Energy Auditor | 132,000 USD | -25% |
| Energy Dispatch Director | 176,000 USD | -0% |
| Energy Efficiency Auditor | 110,000 USD | -38% |
| Energy Efficiency Consultant | 128,000 USD | -27% |
| Energy Modeler | 101,000 USD | -43% |
| Energy Policy Analyst | 103,000 USD | -41% |
| Energy Storage Engineer | 106,000 USD | -40% |
| Energy Technical Assistant | 65,300 USD | -63% |
| Energy Technical Manager | 123,000 USD | -30% |
| Energy Technical Support Manager | 126,000 USD | -28% |
| Energy Technical Trainer | 88,400 USD | -50% |
| Engineering Geologist | 183,000 USD | +4% |
| Exploration Manager | 177,000 USD | +1% |
| Field Safety Auditor | 121,000 USD | -31% |
| Fluids Engineer | 98,700 USD | -44% |
| Fuel Cell Engineer | 104,000 USD | -41% |
| Fuel Cell Technician | 54,300 USD | -69% |
| Fuels Handler | 46,600 USD | -74% |
| Gas Compressor Operator | 44,600 USD | -75% |
| Gas Distribution Plant Operator | 81,700 USD | -54% |
| Gas Supply Manager | 150,000 USD | -15% |
| Geologist | 176,000 USD | -0% |
| Geophysicist | 187,000 USD | +6% |
| Geothermal Engineer | 114,000 USD | -35% |
| Geothermal Production Manager | 168,000 USD | -5% |
| Geothermal Technician | 75,300 USD | -57% |
| HSE Engineer | 108,000 USD | -39% |
| HSE Officer | 65,100 USD | -63% |
| HSE Supervisor | 75,800 USD | -57% |
| HSEQ Administrator | 74,000 USD | -58% |
| Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engineer | 123,000 USD | -30% |
| Inspector | 91,200 USD | -48% |
| Instructor | 83,400 USD | -53% |
| Instrument Designer | 82,500 USD | -53% |
| Lead Technical Field Advisor | 139,000 USD | -21% |
| Lithium Ion Battery Engineer | 96,000 USD | -45% |
| Logistics and Tool Coordinator | 90,200 USD | -49% |
| Maintenance Engineer | 110,000 USD | -38% |
| Maintenance Superintendent | 91,700 USD | -48% |
| Material Controller | 69,800 USD | -60% |
| Methane Detection and Mitigation Specialist | 99,700 USD | -43% |
| Mine Engineer | 104,000 USD | -41% |
| Mine Surveyor | 117,000 USD | -34% |
| Mining Project Administrator | 92,800 USD | -47% |
| Mining Project Assistant | 71,700 USD | -59% |
| Mining Project Controls Consultant | 112,000 USD | -36% |
| Mining Project Coordinator | 92,800 USD | -47% |
| Mining Project Engineer | 97,700 USD | -45% |
| Mining Project Manager | 125,000 USD | -29% |
| Mining Site Manager | 131,000 USD | -26% |
| Mining Team Leader | 106,000 USD | -40% |
| Natural Gas Engineer | 117,000 USD | -34% |
| NDT Technician | 61,300 USD | -65% |
| Net Zero Energy Consultant | 140,000 USD | -20% |
| Oil Service Unit Operator | 51,800 USD | -71% |
| Oil Trader | 139,000 USD | -21% |
| Oilwell Pumper | 39,900 USD | -77% |
| Petroleum Engineer | 119,000 USD | -32% |
| Petroleum Geologist | 189,000 USD | +7% |
| Petroleum Pump System Operator | 57,900 USD | -67% |
| Petroleum Technician | 62,100 USD | -65% |
| Photovoltaic Engineer | 116,000 USD | -34% |
| Pipeline Technician | 40,000 USD | -77% |
| Power Coordinator | 60,800 USD | -65% |
| Power Plant Operations Manager | 202,000 USD | +15% |
| Power Plant Operator | 80,900 USD | -54% |
| Radio Operator | 45,500 USD | -74% |
| Reliability Engineer | 97,000 USD | -45% |
| Renewable Energy Consultant | 149,000 USD | -15% |
| Renewable Energy Engineer | 123,000 USD | -30% |
| Renewable Energy Policy Analyst | 125,000 USD | -29% |
| Reservoir Engineer | 92,600 USD | -47% |
| Risk Analyst | 131,000 USD | -26% |
| Roughneck | 105,000 USD | -40% |
| Scaffolder | 68,100 USD | -61% |
| Shutdown Engineer | 86,800 USD | -51% |
| Smart Grid Analyst | 107,000 USD | -39% |
| Smart Grid Engineer | 119,000 USD | -32% |
| Solar Energy Installation Manager | 149,000 USD | -15% |
| Solar Energy Systems Engineer | 104,000 USD | -41% |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installer | 64,700 USD | -63% |
| Solar Thermal Technician | 60,800 USD | -65% |
| Supply Operations Manager | 172,000 USD | -2% |
| Sustainability Analyst | 131,000 USD | -26% |
| Sustainability Architect | 130,000 USD | -26% |
| Sustainability Specialist | 167,000 USD | -5% |
| Sustainable Energy Consultant | 139,000 USD | -21% |
| System Development Advisor | 116,000 USD | -34% |
| Tanker Truck Driver | 38,800 USD | -78% |
| Unconventional Oil and Gas Engineer | 108,000 USD | -39% |
| Utility Operator | 53,900 USD | -69% |
| Waste-to-Energy Specialist | 145,000 USD | -18% |
| Wind Energy Project Manager | 148,000 USD | -16% |
| Wind Farm Technician | 72,400 USD | -59% |
| Wind Turbine Technician | 83,400 USD | -53% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Houston | 176,000 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 |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Geologist in Houston?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 160,000 USD and 182,000 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 Houston ranges from 91,500 USD to 133,000 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
