The median annual wage for geoscientists was $89,700 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 $47,250, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $187,200.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for geoscientists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Oil and gas extraction
$129,550
Engineering services
80,180
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
73,840
State government, excluding education and hospitals
69,790
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private
66,230
Most geoscientists work full time and may work additional or irregular hours when doing fieldwork. Geoscientists travel frequently to meet with clients and to conduct fieldwork.
Geoscientists
Median annual wages, May 2015
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
$89,700
Physical scientists
$76,140
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