How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

498 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-2042

$101,920US median pay, 2025

+5.1%Projected growth, 2025–35

1,800Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Geology/Earth Science, General	CIP 40.0601	441
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other	CIP 40.0699	91
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical	CIP 40.0607	37
Geophysics and Seismology	CIP 40.0603	34
Marine Sciences	CIP 30.3201	32
Environmental Geosciences	CIP 30.4101	13
Geochemistry	CIP 40.0602	9
Paleontology	CIP 40.0604	5
Earth Systems Science	CIP 30.3801	2
Geoarcheaology	CIP 30.4201	1
Geobiology	CIP 30.4301	0
Geochemistry and Petrology	CIP 40.0606	0

See the 498 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers make?: The US median is $101,920 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 498 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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