Geology Careers
Careers in environmental geology with a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degrees from a four-year institution may be in the environmental, mining, or oil and gas industry. In the environmental industry geologists usually conduct assessment and remediation investigations of soil and groundwater contamination. This may be due to leaking underground storage tanks or mine waste leaking into groundwater or surface water. Geoscientists median annual salary in environmental remediation was $67,000 in 2011 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Environmental Remediation Careers
Many geologist work in mining and the petroleum industry with median annual salaries between $84,000 and $91,000 in 2012 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). With advanced geology degrees such as a Master’s or PhD, geologists starting salary in the petroleum field is typically over $100,000 annually. Further, geology programs at large research intuitions such as the University of Utah or Utah State University regularly pay students to attend their graduate programs. These are competitive programs but it is nice to get paid to get an education.