The average salary for a geologist in the United States is around $83,794 per year.
Avg Salary
Geologists earn an average yearly salary of $83,794.
Wages typically start from $47,518 and go up to $147,764.
39% above national average Updated in 2023
Geologist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level geologist earnings begin at:
$71.04 per hour
$147,764 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level geologist earnings begin at:
$54.30 per hour
$112,946 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level geologist earnings begin at:
$40.29 per hour
$83,794 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level geologist earnings begin at:
$29.89 per hour
$62,166 per year
10th percentile
Starting level geologist earnings begin at:
$22.84 per hour
$47,518 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Geologist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $98,970 |
| California | $98,350 |
| Washington | $94,050 |
| Rhode Island | $92,370 |
| Colorado | $91,800 |
| Mississippi | $87,820 |
| Virginia | $86,530 |
| New Jersey | $82,710 |
| Oregon | $82,640 |
| Hawaii | $82,220 |
| Florida | $80,290 |
| Arizona | $80,270 |
| Wyoming | $80,220 |
| Connecticut | $79,810 |
| North Dakota | $79,810 |
| Utah | $79,800 |
| Missouri | $79,510 |
| Tennessee | $79,500 |
| Nevada | $79,330 |
| Alabama | $79,300 |
| Idaho | $79,260 |
| Nebraska | $79,250 |
| Maryland | $78,760 |
| New York | $78,760 |
| Illinois | $78,340 |
| Montana | $78,340 |
| South Dakota | $78,000 |
| Ohio | $77,750 |
| Delaware | $76,870 |
| Vermont | $76,270 |
| Iowa | $76,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,710 |
| North Carolina | $72,840 |
| New Hampshire | $72,210 |
| New Mexico | $70,660 |
| Minnesota | $67,420 |
| South Carolina | $66,790 |
| Louisiana | $65,380 |
| Michigan | $64,430 |
| Arkansas | $64,290 |
| Indiana | $64,290 |
| Kansas | $64,290 |
| Maine | $63,520 |
| Puerto Rico | $61,860 |
| West Virginia | $61,820 |
| Georgia | $60,300 |
| Wisconsin | $53,410 |
| Kentucky | $51,180 |
| Texas | $130,030 |
| Oklahoma | $127,280 |
| District of Columbia | $119,790 |
| Massachusetts | $100,840 |
How do geologist salaries compare to similar careers?
Geologists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than geneticists but more than food science technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Geneticist salary | $96K |
| Materials scientist salary | $91K |
| Industrial ecologist salary | $90K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $85K |
| Sociologist salary | $86K |
| Geologist salary | $84K |
| Biochemist salary | $84K |
| Hydrologist salary | $79K |
| Mathematician salary | $75K |
| Food science technologist salary | $73K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)