The median annual wage for geological and petroleum technicians was $55,610 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,840, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $98,620.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for geological and petroleum technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Oil and gas extraction
$68,650
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
59,330
Support activities for mining
53,890
Engineering services
47,030
Testing laboratories
45,270
Most geological and petroleum technicians work full time. Technicians generally work a standard schedule while in laboratories and offices, but hours spent in the field may be long or irregular.
Geological and Petroleum Technicians
Median annual wages, May 2015
Geological and petroleum technicians
$55,610
Life, physical, and social science technicians
$43,490
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics