Volcanologists make their living studying some of the most unpredictable and deadly features on earth.
Volcanologists (vulcanologists) are geoscientists who focus on the geological activity at volcanic sites around the world. They are concerned with when volcanoes will erupt and how they impact the Earth. In some cases, pay in volcanology can top $160,000 a year. When just starting out in the field, a volcanologist is likely to earn a much more modest salary--somewhere around $35,000. A pay rate of $60,000 to $80,000 per year is typical for most people in the field.
Typical Pay
The typical pay range for most volcanologists is between $30,000 and $90,000, according to Oregon State University. This equates to an hourly wage range of about $14.42 to $43.27. However, OSU notes that this figure was gained by looking at salaries for the entire geologist field, as there are so few geologists that specialize in volcanology; volcanologists also may not do volcanology work exclusively. The Careers New Zealand website indicates that, in 2006, the average salary was $63,300.
Extended Range
The Bureau of Labor Statistics includes volcanologists in their geoscientists category. They indicate that members of this category had an average annual salary of $93,380, or $44.89 per hour. This average is close to what OSU provided as a top range figure. The bureau further reports that those in the 10th percentile earned $43,820, while those in the 90th percentile made $160,910. Careers New Zealand shows pay for volcanologists from $56,000 to $158,000, which is comparable to the bureau's figures.
Experience
Experienced volcanologists earn predictably higher salaries than entry-level geologists. OSU asserts that an entry-level geologist such as a volcanologist--that is, one with zero to two years of experience--makes roughly $35,000 to $40,000. Mid-tier volcanologists make up to $80,000. Senior volcanologists--those with at least eight to 10 years of experience--earn roughly $79,000 to $90,000.
Education and Sector Variance
Most volcanologists work in research institutes, although many teach. In a research institute, pay started around $56,000 in 2010 for those with a master's degree, according to Careers New Zealand. With a doctorate and at least some experience, pay was $72,000 and $98,000. Top volcanologists at research facilities made $110,000 to $142,000, but not very many volcanologists get to this salary range.
In universities, volcanologists earned between $67,000 and $80,000 in 2010 for lecturing, with some senior lecturers earning up to $100,000. As an associate professor, pay was $112,000 to $124,000. The highest wages went to full professors, who earned between $130,000 and $158,000.
Geologists such as volcanologists may work in sectors outside of research and education. For example, they can work in the oil and gas extraction industry because geologic and volcanic activity is related to those products. The best industries for geoscientists in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, included oil and gas extraction, management of companies and enterprises, other financial investment activities, petroleum and coal products manufacturing and support activities for mining. These industries all had average salaries between $106,000 and $132,000.
Tags: Careers Zealand, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, earned between, Labor Statistics, volcanologists work
