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The national median salary for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is $99,237 per year ($47.71/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $72,446 and $134,347 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $178,880 per year. There are approximately 22,510 geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
25K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
8K
$86,620
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
3K
$83,420
Oil and Gas Extraction
NAICS 211100
2K
$169,220
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
2K
$116,470
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K
$86,780
Wage range across top 5 industries: $83,420 to $169,220 (103% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$28.27
$58,802
P25
$34.83
$72,446
P50MEDIAN
$47.71
$99,237
P75
$64.59
$134,347
P90
$86.00
$178,880
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers salary?
The national median salary for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is $99,237 per year ($47.71/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $72,446 and $134,347 annually.
How much do top-earning geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is $178,880 per year ($86.00/hr). The 75th percentile is $134,347 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers?
Entry-level Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers (10th percentile) earn approximately $58,802 per year ($28.27/hr). The 25th percentile is $72,446 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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