Environmental geologists
usually require a post-graduate qualification --- a master's or doctoral degree.
Environmental geologists are concerned with the bedrock of the environment --- literally. They analyze how the Earth's underlying geological structures affect environmental conditions on its surface. They may investigate the presence of minerals and other natural resources in rock, as well as study how water sources are formed and change as they move through the earth; how pollutants may cause erosion; or how waste products can be safely disposed of. Salary levels for the role are comparable with those of other geological scientists.
Average Salary
As part of its national survey of employment conducted in May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics included environmental geologists in a category alongside other professionals working in the geoscience field, such as seismologists, geodesists and volcanologists. It calculated that the mean annual salary across the professional area was $93,380. Calculated from data supplied by almost 31,000 practitioners, this equates to an hourly rate of $44.89, a weekly wage of $1,796, and $7,782 a month. At the time of publication, pay analysis website Indeed.com listed the average yearly wage for an environmental geologist specifically as $73,000.
Salary by Industry
The two sectors of industry in which the largest numbers of geoscientists, including environmental geologists, work are, according to the bureau's statistics, architectural, engineering and related services, and oil and gas extraction. However, the mean annual wages were considerably different between the two, the former listed at $80,460, while the latter had a mean of $132,210. Individuals working as consultants earned a mean yearly wage of $73,990, higher than that offered by state government agencies --- $62,880 --- but less than those within the federal executive branch, listed at $95,580.
Salary by Geography
Wage comparison website SalaryExpert.com analyzed pay levels for environmental geologists based in various large U.S. cities. At the time of publication, it found that salaries were highest in Texas, with Houston listed at $121,522 and Dallas at $96,738. The nearest competitor was Los Angeles at $69,214. The large differential may be due to the concentration of the oil industry in the Lone Star State. Elsewhere, wages were comparable between New York and Chicago --- $60,653 and $60,354, respectively --- while Atlanta was listed at just $51,377.
Prospects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the employment market for geoscientists, including environmental geologists, will increase by around 18 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018. This growth --- higher than that estimated for the country as a whole, somewhere between 7 and 3 percent --- will be fueled by the increased need for conscientious environmental management as well as continued exploration for oil and natural gas reserves. As a result, environmental geologists should continue to be well-compensated for their services.
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