/r/geologycareers
Advice, advertisements and other topics relating to any and all jobs in geology; from paleontology to igneous petrology and the energy industry.
Advice, advertisements and other topics relating to any and all jobs in geology; from paleontology to igneous petrology and the energy industry.
For those seeking geology-related career and educational advice or information specifically about geology-related fields.
Wondering what a career in geology is really like? Curious what to actually do with your degree? Please check out our list of Career AMAs!
*If you're interested in hosting a Career AMA please send a message to the moderators
WE DID IT GUYSTM Week of 12/19/2021: 1
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2021: 30
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2020: 37
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2019: 63
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2018: 48
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2017: 71
WE DID IT GUYSTM 2016: 35
WE DID IT GUYSTM All-Time: 285
100 WDIG - 12/08/17 #neverforget
*counting services provided by /u/loolwatTM
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RESUME RULE - If you would like to post your resume for review please be sure to remove all identifying information. Posts that fail to adhere to this rule will be removed. Please post a PDF without permissions hosted on dropbox or googledrive.
Copyrighted Material Rule - Please do not request or provide links to any copyrighted material, including the RegReview ASBOG study guides. Posts breaking this rule will be removed.
Search here for your profession to see how the job market has been performing (thanks to /u/pursetosh)
2022 GeologyCareers Sub Salary Survey Results
2018 AGI Median Geoscience Salary Survey (thanks to /u/lemonsforbrunch)
2016 /r/GeologyCareers Salary Survey Results
2015 Salary Surveys:
Other Articles:
/u/Javelin901's USAJobs webinar Youtube channel
Humble thoughts and advice from a retired Environmental Science guy. (thanks to /u/flightgamer)
Looking for info on a Field Camp? Try here! (thanks to /u/tashibum)
Job Hunting Resources and Tips (Thanks to /u/cone_of_optimismt)
PDAC - A Guide to Getting a Job (thanks to /u/mining_geo_canada44)
The ASBOG exams for US licensing
Free online study aids for the FG/PG exams (thanks to /u/lorefolk)
Lists of recommended study material for all subdisciplines (thanks to /u/spodumeme)
APGO (Ontario, Canada PG Board) AMA
How to use this sub / How to find a career (thanks to /u/margaret_thacher)
Do's and Don'ts for O&G (thanks to /u/DrCam)
Do's and Dont's for Resumes (thanks to /u/rocknocker)
Cover Letter Advice (thanks to /u/BadassQuetzalcoatlus)
AAPG Career Guide (thanks to /u/Geolojazz)
How to get into Mining (thanks to /u/NV_Geo)
How to get into US State Govt Jobs (esp CA) (thanks to /u/redelemental)
How to reach out to potential graduate advisors and programs
Practice Aptitude Tests for Interviews
See Also:
/r/geologycareers
I’m currently a Geologist in Training working at an environmental consulting company and recently got a job offer from the Provincial Government Energy Regulator.
I interviewed for the job this past Monday and sent the offer on Tuesday. I informed my manager about the situation and told him I was leaning towards leaving. He made an outline for a plan to work with me moving forward to address the reasons I wanted to leave and an increase in salary.
I want to make clear that money is not a factor in the choice) my main issue was a lack of mentorship and senior support, and work load.
I ended up turning down the Regulator offer yesterday but this morning they called me back and gave me till Tuesday to reconsider as I was too priority candidate and the geology team there was impressed by my interview and wanted me to be a part of the team.
I’m not sure what to do because these two different career paths, however both lead to a P.Geo designation. The job offer is a limited term but is full office based and they are committed to working to make it permanent.
As for my experience I’ve been working for almost 4 years (with the same company). Experience in hydrogeology and contaminated sites. Currently considered an intermediate on the team became a project manager at 1.5 years (clients included municipalities and private organizations both local and international) I have strong field, problem solving skills, technical and proposal writing skills. My technical knowledge I feel is lacking because due unprecedented circumstances I was thrown into the deep end and worked my ass off to help fill any hole there was on the team. So I’ve just been fighting fires and figuring out how to get the current project done and then moving to the next one. I’m just really good at figuring out a way to get the job done one way or another.
The main problem with this decision is someone asked me where do I see myself in 10 year and honestly I don’t know. I spent my whole time filling in wherever the team needed me (fieldwork, technical work, project manager….).
Does anyone have any advice on things to think about and consider?
Edit: Don’t know if it matters but my degrees are in geophysics and GIS
Hopefully this falls within this sub's scope
I work as a geo and travel for fieldwork, usually by plane. It's more urban work so I stay in hotels.
What suitcases/luggage do you guys use that can stand up to carrying rocks? I always bring back personal samples and it's kind of ruining my suitcase. Any advice on how to fly commercial with rocks?
Hi everyone! I’m hoping I can gather some advice based on my interest and experience on to pursue career wise after I graduate in the Spring of 2026.
Personal context: I am a 3rd year undergraduate in a geology. I first went to college for Environmental Science with a concentration in marine science. Fell in love with the first geology class I took, transferred to the only university in my state offering a geology major.
I’m currently in the position when asked “what are you interested in?” I cannot give them a straight answer. My freshman year, I did a pilot project digitizing wetlands and I’m currently trying to get research doing more archaeological based work. Next semester I will be dipping my toes into geophysics and stratigraphy with hopes that something will click. I can’t seem to figure out where my passions and what the world needs overlaps.
If you were in a similar situation in your education I would love to hear your story and where you ending up. What did you do that helped you figure out what you wanted to do? Was it an internship, graduate research, a childhood dream? Please help me brainstorm some ideas of what I can say instead of “I’m not sure what I’m interested in just yet”
Hi all, after a year and half of not getting any job offers, I recently got 2 offers. One is for a recent graduate/pathways physical scientist position with the USGS. The other is to be a lab manager at a university for a research field I feel passionate about.
I'm struggling with what to do. I am concerned that my likelihood of being converted from a Recent Graduate to Permanent with the USGS may be diminished if the incoming administration is successful in hampering federal environmental agencies. Does anyone (especially USGS/Department of the Interior folks) have thoughts on that? I feel passionate and fortunate for both job opportunities, and I've been trying to get a job with the USGS for a while now. I don't want to accept the USGS offer if the job gets cut after the first year. Thank you all for your thoughts.
Geoscience undergrad here! Right now I am exploring my career options while I’m still an undergraduate. Im I’ve been exploring this sub and I’m interested in this field but I don’t wanna travel too too much. I live in CT and I’m willing to go to NY or mass if so be it but I’d rather stay in my state if possible. Is this reasonable? Will this hurt my career and salary growth? What do you guys think?
Hi y’all, I’m at my 2.5 year mark with my and I’m now making a hair under 50k a year. I’m in central Ohio. As a geologist/geophysicist, with my amount of experience and now starting to move from strictly field work to project management what sort of salary should I expect?
Or if anyone would be willing to share what they make and their level of experience and kinda what they do it would be appreciated. Because I’m thinking of pushing for a raise but i’m not sure what’s a realistic goal since indeed and glassdoor salaries when you look them up are all over the place.
Currently perusing a BS in geology in western Alberta and from only one class Im intrigued by geophysics. My reason for not switching to the geophysics major is due to the fact this is my 4th total year in university but only my 2nd year in geo as I came into university not knowing what I wanted. And I hear geophysics as a BS has more limited job opportunities as well as some extent of pigeonholing which I’m all ears for if these “claims” have no merit. I’ll also not opposed to getting a geophys MS possibly after 2-3 yrs of working as a geo. I want to know if I’m able to break into geophysics specifically siesmo with a geo undergrad. How hard it is to do? And anyone working in geophysics to possibly share what compensation could look like.
I’ve been reading posts on here for a while and I’ve noticed that majority of people are in America or have jobs in America. Is there anyone who is from Australia who can give me some info about the availability and type of work here? Also would love to hear about how you got your job!
Got a call out of the blue but went to voicemail because I was away from my phone. I applied for this job 2-3 months ago. Another call the next day, different number (they’re legitimate). I’m very happy where I am now, I’m guessing this is one of those would have been nice if I were unemployed at the time instead, but I had just started my first month at a new firm startup. Time loves to play tricks on me.
Anyone work this type of role or was part of a crew that does this?
Thanks!
Recently, I learned that approximately 1 in 12 men are colorblind. The condition is more rare in women (1 in 200) but its prevalence was surprising. There are so many aspects of geology that are tied to accurate color identification: Munsell soil colors in borehole logging, reading colorful graphs and charts, distinguishing color symbology on field maps, igneous/metamorphic petrology, I’m sure there are many many more I haven’t thought of! Please help me learn about the challenges you (or your coworkers) face as colorblind geologists, and what the rest of us can do to help!
Hello! I (23f) am an environmental consultant with a recent Bachelor of Science, starting work at a pipeline site in Alberta with a 14-days-on, 14-days-off rotation. I’ll be staying in camp for two weeks at a time.
This is my first camp job, so I’m looking for any packing lists or suggestions on essentials to bring. I’d also appreciate any advice on adjusting to camp life, building good relationships, and handling long periods away from home. I appreciate any help or advice!
I’m struggling here. My field is fluvial geomorphology. I have a MS degree. Im interested in doing a PhD outside of the US, but I’m not aware of many abroad fluvial geomorphology programs. I’m also a bit worried about the lack of available public data overseas. For example, publicly available USGS gage data, publicly available 10m DEMs, and more. This is a benefit I have come to learn about the US.
Can anyone shed light on the fluvial geomorph world outside of the US? For what it’s worth I am interested in post-wildfire work. I’ve seen fluvial geomorph positions in the context of snow hydrology, permafrost, climate change, tectonics, etc. none of these are my background, I’m specifically interested in channel / watershed dynamics change in gravel bed rivers following disturbance.
Hey all, Currently in Australia, working as a senior geologist in the mineral resources industry. 8 years experience.
Looking to move to the US (I have a visa) and have my eyes and heart set on Florida. What are my career prospects like here? I’m more than happy to do environmental/soil work, which I understand seems to be the majority of geo work up there.
What kind of salary can I expect? I’m currently on the equivalent of 120kUSD but given cost of living and tax differences I’m happy to take a pay cut to live in the states.
Also are there any companies you recommend I apply to?
Ta!
Are there any Canadian mappers in this sub? I’m curious what your career path was to get there, and what your work looks like month to month, year to year. Do you mostly work in mining, or do you have an equivalent to the USGS that most aspire to? How competitive was it, and what are future job prospects like?
Hello! I have a job interview with a state DEQ for a hydrogeologist position.
I have a BS in geology and about 6mo. experience as a field mapper for another states survey. I sadly had to leave that job, which I loved, for a move to support my husband and his career.
I have only ever taken hydrogeology in undergrad. Any advice on what to brush up on specifically and programs and methods used by hydrogeologist who work in DEQ waste management?
I’m assuming tracking and monitoring contaminants will be a major role of this position. Unfortunately the job posting is no longer on line and I should have saved the posting in a personal document. I didn’t expect to receive an interview!
Thank you!
Hey ☺️👋 I am doing my Master's in Oil and Gas field studies. I need to work on a project where I have to present all the information on specific oil field in charts and graphs, etc. I am a student in Russia and wanted to choose an oil field outside of Russia to make it more interesting for my class. Is there anyone who would like to assist me through my project. There I would be really grateful if there is someone willing to help me out.
Hello! I am currently a senior in high school who is planning on going to A&M for a 5-year masters degree plan for geology. The work geologists do and the actual subject itself is really interesting to me but after doing some research I see a lot of geologist end up having a bad homelife due to all the traveling that is required. Personally in my early years I would be fine with that (23-early 30s) however I do want to eventually settle down and start a family so I was wondering if there are geology positions that fit the more "9-5" office lifestyle where I would be able to be home at least most nights. If there are please give me suggestions and what fields they are in! As of right now I do not know what specific field I am going to go into (im going to choose after attending classes and figuring out which field suits me best). Any help would be amazing.
I’m strongly considering geology as a major, as part of this I’m researching a lot into the different sectors of work you can do and job postings and necessary experience. Particularly I’m liking exploration geology. One requirement for a lot of job listings however is it says “experience is needed with conducting geological field work like rock or soil sampling, mapping and data collection.” Paraphrase of an actual posting. How do I find jobs/internships that gets me this experience to further progress my career? Any companies to look at particularly? (I’m in the US, and am willing to go anywhere in the US). I’m just worried I won’t be able to get the experience I need once I graduate.
Been job hunting for geo since August but no luck. Feeling restless tbh. Im 23. Applying to grad school again tho 🫡🫡🥶
My school offers an extended studies program for GIS. This interests me, and I've been thinking about it for a few months. Would it be better to wait until I'm more certain about my career goals? (I'm a second year geosciences major)
Hi everybody, I have a contract geologic consulting firm. We have a really talented team, and can turnkey your project from land tenure, to permitting, through drilling and modeling, to technical reporting. We even have a financial analyst to give updates on areas of the mining marketplace.
This is made really complicated by the fact that I have a horrible knee issue; I am forced to grow the business. Walking is incredibly painful and I cannot hike. It is a very difficult existence waiting for surgery, and then, the recovery time afterwards. I’ve hit my credit limits, too.
I have spent every waking moment, every day, working on this for about 6 months; since the last surgery didn’t take.
We are ready to take on GIS and Leapfrog projects worldwide, field projects in the western USA, and we can write a 43-101. We have the QPs.
Really looking for assistance and work to do.
Much appreciated.
If you are in this field how much money do you make? And what does your day-to day look like? Is environmental geology in demand and is it hard to get a job? Thanks
I have a degree in Geology, graduated 2020. Currently I work in a very secure job that’s not related to Geology at all. I’m curious if it would be stupid to take the FG exam for geology since I won’t ever work as a geologist? I just want to learn the material again and say I did it…
Edit: I’m in Colorado and I thought I saw somewhere that they don’t do licensure? Would that apply to this exam then?
As I have been researching geology as a major, I've also considered GIS. It does seem interesting to me, like mapping programs and software, lidar etc. This is almost certainly something I would like to do, however I'm not very attracted to the idea of a primarily desk job. Is there anything in the field of Geology/GIS that involves doing things in the field, but not like grunt work. If I could have a dream job of it, I would love to go to remote locations and gather data on things to compile maps of things, if that's a job. I have heard of some state geological surveys that do this. But if anyone has any information on careers like this, or majoring advice, or what type of entry level jobs to look for, please let me know.
I am n exploration geophysics student and I ahve a subject Radiometeric Methods of Prospecting. I have been given an assignment to create ratio maps for uranium, thorium and potassium radioactivity. I have been given data for this assignment in .dat file. Also when I searched how should I do the assignment on chatgpt and youtube, the result was to use a open source software called QGIS but I cannot find any tutorial regarding this software. When I try to using python (with the help of chatgpt) again the result is that I cannot generate color ratio maps instead it generates only black images that is totally different.
Please help anyone.
Hello all!
I am a college student currently taking a career explorations course. After doing research I’ve decided on majoring in Environmental Science and exploring the careers in geology/ecology.
One of my upcoming assignments is to interview someone in either of these fields to learn more about their experience. Reddit probably isn’t the best source to ask this, but with its large variety of people I was hoping I could interview one of the individuals on here that have a similar work background of what I’m looking into.
The assignment details explain the interview could be over the phone, zoom, etc and only about 15 minutes. I would greatly appreciate any of your guys help. Please let me know if you’re interested or have questions!
Thanks!
Essentially i have been adopted by one of my besties 8 year old boys. We get along amazing because we both have neuro spice, most likely auadhd and he feels comfortable talking to me and showing all his special intrests. Hes a bright kid and i see a lot of myself in him. Something i really want to do is help encourage and nurture his special intrests. I wont go into details but hes having a bit of a tough time currently so im trying to distract him by looking at how awesome the future can be if he keeps with his intrests.
Essentially any resources, comments about your jobs i can show him, stories from your childhoods? Im open to any ideas or books or things to help!
If you want to address him direct just call him lil'C in the comment :) thanks so much for the help!
Hello guys an undergrad third year and this is my resume after multiple revisions from the schools career center. Wanted to send this here for any specialized feedback.
Extra info: I do not have much experience besides class work and work done in undergrad research which is what is listed under research experience.
Besides that any information would be much appreciated!
I'm a high school junior from the US who's been doing geology since freshmen year through clubs and science teams at my school. I've also loved engineering and mathematics (I'm currently taking AP calculus BC and doing well in the class). I'm just wondering any colleges are good for undergrad as I need to start thinking of a list of schools soon. I'd prefer reccomondations from anywhere in the US besides Hawaii, Alaska, and southern US (the cultural south not the geographic south). (I'm currently thinking about MIT and Umich). I also want to know what combination of majors and minors I should pick and more details about career paths I can pursue. Also some good options for higher education cause I wanna get a PHD and become a doctor of geology because that sounds cool.
I have some experience with soil logging and basic stuff, but I’m curious what kind of job will I most likely be doing starting out? What can I expect if I stick with it for a few years? Also is it true they don’t really want geologist and they’re looking for engineers?
Honestly tell me anything you can about the field