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The national median salary for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians is $48,402 per year ($23.27/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $39,208 and $64,480 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $92,206 per year. There are approximately 9,710 geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to obtain data indicating resources such as metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum. Analyze mud and drill cuttings. Chart pressure, temperature, and other characteristics of wells or bore holes.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
10K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
4K
$48,390
Support Activities for Mining
NAICS 213100
2K
$37,440
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
1K
$45,500
Oil and Gas Extraction
NAICS 211100
480
$95,560
Metal Ore Mining
NAICS 212200
410
$73,380
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,440 to $95,560 (155% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.78
$32,822
P25
$18.85
$39,208
P50MEDIAN
$23.27
$48,402
P75
$31.00
$64,480
P90
$44.33
$92,206
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 geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians salary?
The national median salary for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians is $48,402 per year ($23.27/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $39,208 and $64,480 annually.
How much do top-earning geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians is $92,206 per year ($44.33/hr). The 75th percentile is $64,480 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians?
Entry-level Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,822 per year ($15.78/hr). The 25th percentile is $39,208 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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