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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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, and oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, 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:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
29,200 3.2 % $52.09 $108,350 1.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.52 $31.34 $44.25 $62.92 $90.34
Annual Wage (2) $51,000 $65,180 $92,040 $130,870 $187,910


Industry profile for this occupation:

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 8,250 0.55 $45.35 $94,330
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,760 0.32 $42.26 $87,900
Oil and Gas Extraction 4,170 2.95 $79.53 $165,430
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,150 0.10 $37.33 $77,650
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,130 0.11 $49.54 $103,040

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 4,170 2.95 $79.53 $165,430
Metal Ore Mining 430 1.02 $41.28 $85,850
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 8,250 0.55 $45.35 $94,330
Support Activities for Mining 1,650 0.47 $49.67 $103,320
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,760 0.32 $42.26 $87,900

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 1,380 0.06 $84.87 $176,530
Oil and Gas Extraction 4,170 2.95 $79.53 $165,430
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 190 0.02 $70.05 $145,690
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 60 (7) $69.07 $143,670
Employment Services 130 (7) $66.00 $137,280


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 7,240 0.58 2.93 $74.20 $154,330
California 4,660 0.27 1.35 $46.53 $96,790
Colorado 1,910 0.71 3.59 $55.18 $114,780
Pennsylvania 1,250 0.21 1.06 $51.50 $107,130
Washington 1,030 0.31 1.56 $44.52 $92,600




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 460 1.44 7.24 $49.10 $102,130
Wyoming 200 0.74 3.73 $36.75 $76,440
Colorado 1,910 0.71 3.59 $55.18 $114,780
Texas 7,240 0.58 2.93 $74.20 $154,330
Oklahoma 930 0.57 2.89 $69.60 $144,770




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,240 0.58 2.93 $74.20 $154,330
Oklahoma 930 0.57 2.89 $69.60 $144,770
Colorado 1,910 0.71 3.59 $55.18 $114,780
Hawaii 110 0.18 0.90 $55.10 $114,620
Pennsylvania 1,250 0.21 1.06 $51.50 $107,130





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 4,370 1.43 7.20 $81.83 $170,220
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,360 0.90 4.51 $60.09 $124,990
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,120 0.18 0.91 $45.74 $95,130
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 810 0.40 2.03 $44.68 $92,940
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 750 0.30 1.53 (8) (8)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 700 0.19 0.96 (8) (8)
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 620 0.41 2.07 $41.82 $86,980
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 570 0.18 0.90 $53.51 $111,290
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 530 0.18 0.92 (8) (8)
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 520 0.52 2.60 $46.53 $96,780




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 420 3.81 19.17 $79.61 $165,590
Fairbanks, AK 80 2.39 12.03 $39.86 $82,910
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 270 1.78 8.95 $43.64 $90,770
College Station-Bryan, TX 180 1.57 7.89 $31.12 $64,720
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,370 1.43 7.20 $81.83 $170,220
Boulder, CO 250 1.33 6.71 $47.28 $98,340
Anchorage, AK 220 1.27 6.37 $52.55 $109,300
Corvallis, OR 40 1.16 5.85 $46.94 $97,630
Bakersfield, CA 370 1.16 5.81 $61.65 $128,240
Odessa, TX 80 0.99 5.00 $64.77 $134,710




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)
Tulsa, OK 250 0.57 2.88 $99.95 $207,900
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,370 1.43 7.20 $81.83 $170,220
Midland, TX 420 3.81 19.17 $79.61 $165,590
Greeley, CO 30 0.30 1.53 $66.04 $137,360
Oklahoma City, OK 520 0.83 4.19 $65.09 $135,380
Odessa, TX 80 0.99 5.00 $64.77 $134,710
Bakersfield, CA 370 1.16 5.81 $61.65 $128,240
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,360 0.90 4.51 $60.09 $124,990
Urban Honolulu, HI 100 0.22 1.10 $56.94 $118,440
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 100 0.09 0.46 $54.03 $112,380

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 210 2.14 10.76 $45.14 $93,890
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 160 1.43 7.20 $48.97 $101,850
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 110 0.77 3.88 $43.85 $91,210
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 100 0.36 1.83 $55.36 $115,140
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 90 0.55 2.76 $43.17 $89,800

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 210 2.14 10.76 $45.14 $93,890
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 160 1.43 7.20 $48.97 $101,850
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 0.92 4.64 (8) (8)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 110 0.77 3.88 $43.85 $91,210
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 50 0.62 3.10 $34.94 $72,670

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)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 100 0.36 1.83 $55.36 $115,140
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.50 2.50 $52.91 $110,060
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 160 1.43 7.20 $48.97 $101,850
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 210 2.14 10.76 $45.14 $93,890
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $45.11 $93,830


About May 2019 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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020