Petroleum geologists with a bachelor's degree earned average starting wages of $76,000 in 2009.
Graduates with bachelor's degrees in geology can earn between $40,000 and $100,000, depending on occupation and work experience. Industries related to oil, gas and petroleum products are among the most lucrative for geology bachelor's degree holders.
Wages
Holders of bachelor's degrees in geology earn salaries from $39,891 to $121,356, according to a survey of 429 people by PayScale. Geologists with a bachelor's degree in geology earned between $39,981 and $53,713 per year, while petroleum geologists' earnings were in the $49,132 to $102,093 range. Geophysicists with bachelor's degrees in geology made between $62,700 and $121,356 per year.
Top Industries
Three of the five highest-paying industries for geologists and other geoscientists, including those with graduate degrees, were in the petroleum products and oil and gas extraction industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers was the top industry, with an average salary of $139,740 per year. Oil and gas extraction was second, with an average annual wage of $136,270, while petroleum and coal products manufacturing was the fifth highest-paying, with an average salary of $118,870 per year.
Experience Pays
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) reports that petroleum geologists with two years of work experience or less and Bachelor of Science degrees earned average salaries of $76,100 in 2009. For those with 10 years of experience or more, average wages exceeded $110,000, and petroleum geologists with a bachelor's degree and 25 years experience had average salaries higher than those with graduate degrees and the same amount of experience.
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