Geology

Types of Degrees Geology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many geological & earth sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,612
Doctor’s Degree	766
Graduate Certificate	97

What Geology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to geology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Geology Majors

Geology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Geology Majors

geology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Geology Majors

Geology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Geology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with geology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Chemistry Professors	9.9%	$79,550
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	14.1%	$91,130
Hydrologists	10.4%	$79,370
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Geology?

Roughly 51% of the graduates are women, and 49% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of geology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	60
Black or African American	53
Hispanic or Latino	170
White	1,002
International Students	214
Other Races/Ethnicities	113

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Geology. About 13.3% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Geology

Some careers associated with geology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to geology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Some College Courses	0.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	5.2%
Master’s Degree	37.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.3%
Doctoral Degree	17.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	11.9%

Online Geology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	10	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	134	5
Bachelor’s Degree	44	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	297	7
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	197	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Geology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to geology.

Major	Number of Grads
Chemistry	19,976
Physics	13,306
General Physical Sciences	2,747
Astronomy & Astrophysics	1,573
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	1,288
Materials Sciences	679
Other Physical Science	404
Physics and Astronomy	45

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Kelvinsong under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.