Geologists study the earth's components and processes to understand its composition. These professionals can specialize in one or several geological disciplines such as petroleum, sediments, fossils or minerals. A geologist III is a geologist with at least four years of professional experience in the field of geology. In May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the salary of a geologist III.
Salary
Approximately 31,000 geoscientists, including geologists in a variety of disciplines, were working in the United States in 2010. Employers require at least a bachelor's degree in a geological discipline for this occupation, but many geologists obtain a master's degree to increase job opportunities. The average salary for a geologist was $93,380 per year.
Variations
Salaries vary based on factors including the employer type, type of research the geologist is performing and the location of the job. Because a geologist III has several years of professional experience in the field, he often figures in the Bureau's 50th through 90th percentiles. The median salary was $82,500 per year in 2010. The 75th percentile of geologists earned $115,460 per year, and the 90th percentile earned over $160,910 per year.
Industries
Geologists work in industries including state and federal government agencies, consulting services, oil and gas extraction, and architectural and engineering service organizations. The highest employment levels were in the architectural, engineering and related services industry, where geologists earned an average salary of $80,460 per year. State government agencies paid an average salary of $62,880 per year, and federal government agencies paid an average salary of $95,580 per year. The oil and gas extraction industry paid the highest wages, where geologists earned an average salary of $132,210 per year.
Location
Geologists work in almost every state in the country, with the highest employment levels in Texas, California, Colorado, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. In California, the average salary was $84,480 per year and in Pennsylvania, the average salary was $67,860 per year. The highest wages were in Oklahoma, where the average salary was $129,870 per year and in Texas, where the average salary was $125,070 per year. In Alaska, which had the highest concentration of geologist jobs by location quotients, the average salary was $103,880 per year.
