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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

19-2042 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth's internal composition, atmospheres, oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, crystallographers, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
29,260 3.4 % $51.83 $107,800 1.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $23.76 $30.96 $43.81 $61.82 $90.38
Annual Wage (2) $49,430 $64,390 $91,130 $128,580 $187,990


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 8,470 0.58 $44.61 $92,800
Oil and Gas Extraction 4,670 3.31 $75.61 $157,270
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,080 0.28 $41.44 $86,200
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,210 0.10 $36.86 $76,670
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,170 0.11 $49.32 $102,580

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 4,670 3.31 $75.61 $157,270
Metal Ore Mining 420 1.05 $41.08 $85,450
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 8,470 0.58 $44.61 $92,800
Support Activities for Mining 1,470 0.46 $54.24 $112,810
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,080 0.28 $41.44 $86,200

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,610 0.07 $82.97 $172,570
Oil and Gas Extraction 4,670 3.31 $75.61 $157,270
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 40 (7) $71.41 $148,540
Scientific Research and Development Services 710 0.11 $61.35 $127,620
Employment Services 150 (7) $61.28 $127,470


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,810 0.64 3.19 $72.18 $150,140
California 4,100 0.24 1.19 $46.90 $97,550
Colorado 2,010 0.77 3.80 $53.43 $111,130
Pennsylvania 1,210 0.21 1.02 $52.20 $108,580
Oklahoma 1,140 0.71 3.53 $59.24 $123,230




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 430 1.37 6.79 $47.79 $99,400
Colorado 2,010 0.77 3.80 $53.43 $111,130
Oklahoma 1,140 0.71 3.53 $59.24 $123,230
Texas 7,810 0.64 3.19 $72.18 $150,140
Wyoming 160 0.59 2.93 $35.20 $73,220




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,810 0.64 3.19 $72.18 $150,140
Oklahoma 1,140 0.71 3.53 $59.24 $123,230
Colorado 2,010 0.77 3.80 $53.43 $111,130
Louisiana 910 0.48 2.36 $52.74 $109,700
Hawaii 120 0.19 0.94 $52.66 $109,530





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,040 1.69 8.35 $75.20 $156,410
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,180 0.80 3.96 $62.45 $129,890
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,180 0.19 0.95 $44.39 $92,330
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 740 0.21 1.03 (8) (8)
Oklahoma City, OK 700 1.13 5.60 $61.87 $128,690
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 620 0.31 1.54 $45.74 $95,140
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 590 0.24 1.20 $51.42 $106,950
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 580 0.39 1.95 $46.69 $97,110
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 560 0.18 0.89 $52.56 $109,320
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 560 0.20 0.97 (8) (8)




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Midland, TX 400 3.97 19.64 $89.85 $186,880
Boulder, CO 490 2.70 13.36 $42.65 $88,720
Fairbanks, AK 90 2.67 13.21 $38.84 $80,790
College Station-Bryan, TX 210 1.85 9.13 $31.15 $64,790
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,040 1.69 8.35 $75.20 $156,410
Anchorage, AK 220 1.27 6.26 $53.40 $111,080
Oklahoma City, OK 700 1.13 5.60 $61.87 $128,690
Reno, NV 200 0.87 4.29 $49.55 $103,060
Odessa, TX 60 0.84 4.16 $61.51 $127,930
Billings, MT 70 0.83 4.12 $51.72 $107,570




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Midland, TX 400 3.97 19.64 $89.85 $186,880
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,040 1.69 8.35 $75.20 $156,410
Tulsa, OK 230 0.53 2.62 $70.57 $146,790
Tyler, TX 50 0.47 2.33 $69.30 $144,140
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 350 0.63 3.13 $68.07 $141,590
Bakersfield, CA 220 0.72 3.54 $65.33 $135,880
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,180 0.80 3.96 $62.45 $129,890
Corpus Christi, TX 70 0.35 1.73 $62.08 $129,120
Oklahoma City, OK 700 1.13 5.60 $61.87 $128,690
Odessa, TX 60 0.84 4.16 $61.51 $127,930

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 230 2.35 11.63 $46.72 $97,170
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 190 0.99 4.92 (8) (8)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 120 1.14 5.62 $44.67 $92,920
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 110 0.39 1.94 $54.36 $113,070
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 100 0.76 3.76 $43.38 $90,220

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 230 2.35 11.63 $46.72 $97,170
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 120 1.14 5.62 $44.67 $92,920
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 190 0.99 4.92 (8) (8)
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 0.96 4.75 $33.74 $70,180
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 100 0.76 3.76 $43.38 $90,220

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $56.80 $118,150
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 110 0.39 1.94 $54.36 $113,070
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 2.06 $49.52 $103,010
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 230 2.35 11.63 $46.72 $97,170
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 120 1.14 5.62 $44.67 $92,920


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019