Geological & Earth Sciences

Types of Degrees Geological & Earth Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many geological and earth sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,663
Doctor’s Degree	734
Graduate Certificate	94

What Geological & Earth Sciences Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to geology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

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

A major in geology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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 Geological & Earth Sciences Major?

People with a geology degree often go into the following careers:

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 Geological & Earth Sciences?

Roughly 48% of the graduates are women, and 52% 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	52
Black or African American	41
Hispanic or Latino	131
White	1,118
International Students	218
Other Races/Ethnicities	103

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Geology, too. About 13.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Saudi Arabia
• India
• Nigeria
• Canada

How Much Do Geological & Earth Sciences Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in geological and earth sciences made a median starting salary of $58,235 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $48,811 (25th percentile) and $64,543 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a geology degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Geology majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $92,360 to $107,800 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Geological & Earth Sciences

Some careers associated with geology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for geology careers below.

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 Geological & Earth Sciences Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 583 schools offered some type of geological and earth sciences program. 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)	6	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	125	3
Bachelor’s Degree	39	6
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	299	5
Post-Master’s	9	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	201	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Geological & Earth Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a geology grad is $101,890 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 155% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,239,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Geological & Earth Sciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
Chemistry	5,005
Physics	3,727
Materials Sciences	448
Astronomy & Astrophysics	371
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	342
Other Physical Science	191
General Physical Sciences	107
Physics and Astronomy	23

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.