Occupational Employment and Wages, 2002

19-2042 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the earth's internal composition, atmospheres, oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Include mineralogists, crystallographers, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
26,130 10.8 % $37.83 $78,690 8.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $17.59 $23.26 $32.44 $49.10 $64.09
Annual Wage (2) $36,580 $48,370 $67,470 $102,120 $133,310

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Architectural and engineering services 8,230 $43.88 $91,270 1 5
Oil and gas extraction 4,100 $47.92 $99,670 2 4
Management and technical consulting services 3,870 $28.91 $60,130 3 15
Federal government (OES designation) 2,730 $36.16 $75,220 4 11
State government (OES designation) 2,160 $24.96 $51,910 5 19

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Petroleum merchant wholesalers 40 $53.81 $111,910 16 1
Other financial investment activities 70 $48.15 $100,160 13 2
Software publishers (6) $48.09 $100,030 (6) 3
Oil and gas extraction 4,100 $47.92 $99,670 2 4
Architectural and engineering services 8,230 $43.88 $91,270 1 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Alaska 360 $43.07 $89,590 0.126% 12
Louisiana 1,560 $42.60 $88,610 0.085% 15
Colorado 1,290 $34.88 $72,560 0.061% 39
New Mexico 410 $33.12 $68,900 0.056% 32
Wyoming 130 $30.05 $62,500 0.054% 28

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Alaska 360 $43.07 $89,590 0.126% 12
Louisiana 1,560 $42.60 $88,610 0.085% 15
Delaware 80 $38.99 $81,100 0.020% 21
Oklahoma 730 $38.41 $79,900 0.051% 18
Montana 110 $37.60 $78,200 0.028% 10

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Anchorage, AK MSA 280 $46.70 $97,150 0.204%
New Orleans, LA MSA 1,190 $44.23 $92,000 0.203%
Odessa-Midland, TX MSA 190 $50.12 $104,240 0.187%
Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, MS MSA 240 $32.65 $67,920 0.163%
Casper, WY MSA 50 $31.81 $66,170 0.155%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Corpus Christi, TX MSA 30 $50.51 $105,050 0.019%
Odessa-Midland, TX MSA 190 $50.12 $104,240 0.187%
Anchorage, AK MSA 280 $46.70 $97,150 0.204%
Dallas, TX PMSA 520 $46.05 $95,780 0.027%
New Orleans, LA MSA 1,190 $44.23 $92,000 0.203%

About 2002 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Data for detailed occupations does not sum to the totals because the totals include data for occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(6) Estimates not released.

All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

2002 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2002 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2002 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download 2002 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: November 26, 2003