Geology Careers: What Do Geologists Do?

What Do Geologists Do?

Today, we’re going to dig some dirt on geology such as:

• How much do geologists earn?
• What do geologists do?
• What types of jobs are there for geologists?

Because a career path in geology is never written in stone. Let’s explore.

What do exploration geologists do?

The goal of exploration geologists is to discover new and unfound resources. Actually, without the legwork from geologists and prospectors, the resource extraction phase would never exist.

When prospecting for potential resources, there are 3 types of exploration types that geologists undertake.

• GRASSROOTS EXPLORATION: Grassroots exploration searches for minerals in an area that has never been searched before.
• BROWNFIELD EXPLORATION: Brownfield exploration is searching for additional minerals at a known site.
• ON-SITE EXPLORATION: On-site exploration expands an existing mine site from its current extent.

Exploration geologists play a major role in resource extraction by collecting samples in the field. Using this field data, they interpret the data collected.

After mapping what’s below the surface, the search for mineral deposits and petroleum becomes narrowed down. For example, banded iron formations are a significant source of iron ore in which steel can be manufactured.

How much money do geologists make?

Geologists earn an average salary of 66,800$. If you look at the environmental science salary pyramid, geologists are in the mid-range earnings group.

There is a high demand in the labor market for geologists. This trend should continue for some time depending on market conditions. Of course, this depends on education and years of experience.

It’s a diverse industry with at least 37 branches of geology that a geologist can dive into.

Generally, geologists work a good mix of indoor and outdoor services. Some geologists have the chance to explore new places and set foot where no one has been before.

Average Salary	66,800$
Percent of Earth Science Careers	12.6%
Job Trend	Average
Level of Education	Bachelor’s Degree or higher
Work Setting	Office or outdoor

At university, we suggest joining a geology field camp. It’s like a big outdoor classroom. Students get to explore and study rocks up close. They use tools and maps to understand the Earth. It’s a hands-on experience and learn a lot by doing.

What do engineering geologists do?

If you’re more geared towards geotechnical design, then an engineering geologist career suits you best.

Their responsibilities include the analysis of rock and soil for underground and surface structures.

For example, they often assist in the design of engineering structures in these types of projects:

• Dams
• Buildings
• Bridges
• Tunnels
• Roads

This type of geologist is familiar with rock mechanics and structural geologic mapping. In addition, they relate rocks with the physical and chemical structure and the processes that act on them.

How does geology tie into disasters, landforms, and education?

Geology is truly a diverse field. We discover new things about our planet every day thanks to it. For example, geology is tied into fields like:

• DISASTER MANAGEMENT: We can better understand disaster management by analyzing plate tectonics. Through seismology and tomography, we can enhance prediction models for phenomena like earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes.
• LANDFORM STUDY: There is bedrock and surficial geology. From geomorphology, we can begin to understand how Earth’s landforms develop and how they change over time.
• GEOLOGIC HISTORY: When looking at rock strata, you’re looking at the underlying rock formations and when they were deposited. When geologists analyze a layer of rocks, they’re looking at a slice of history. Not only do geologists specialize in dating rocks, but they also understand Earth’s geologic history and timeline in eras, periods, and epochs.

The last word for geology careers

Because geologists are tied to these types of markets, demand in geology careers can have a fair bit of fluctuation.

Some of the common employers who hire geologists are:

• Mining
• Petroleum
• Engineering industries
• Environmental management
• Agriculture

Geology Careers: What Do Geologists Do?

Geologists are scientists and engineers who study the Earth’s landscape and its physical, chemical, and biological features. This is accomplished by collecting data in the field and analyzing it through laboratory analysis.

They might also be involved in creating new geologic maps, defending the geologic rights of land ownership, predicting the effects of natural disasters like landslides or earthquakes, or building dams to protect communities from flooding.

If you have any questions about becoming a geologist or what geologists do, please send us your questions and comments below.