Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers pay in the U.S.
$116,150avg. a year
$55.84 an hour · 23,470 employed
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in the U.S. earn an average of $116,150 a year and a median of $101,920. Pay is highest in Texas ($160,070) and lowest in Connecticut ($67,580).
$101,920Median pay
$55.84Average hourly
+4%Avg. pay since 2020
23,470Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
14,900 jobs
Texas
$160,070
$76.96 an hour
2420 jobs
Massachusetts
$133,880
$64.37 an hour
31,480 jobs
Colorado
$132,120
$63.52 an hour
4770 jobs
Oklahoma
$123,090
$59.18 an hour
5
Rhode Island
$119,270
$57.34 an hour
6430 jobs
Alaska
$118,750
$57.09 an hour
7840 jobs
Washington
$117,140
$56.32 an hour
8250 jobs
Mississippi
$115,470
$55.51 an hour
9390 jobs
Maryland
$114,240
$54.92 an hour
10410 jobs
Illinois
$109,290
$52.55 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $86k$86k–$93k$93k–$106k$106k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | $192,880 | $92.73 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $179,730 | $86.41 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $146,630 | $70.50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $141,410 | $67.99 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $138,380 | $66.53 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $136,890 | $65.81 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,530 | $63.24 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $122,350 | $58.82 |
Related jobs
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$91,680
- Chemists$100,450
- Physical Scientists, All Other$129,230
- Physicists$171,180
- Atmospheric and Space Scientists$106,110
- Materials Scientists$126,180
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $89,960 | $88,610 | 110 |
| Alaska | $118,750 | $107,410 | 430 |
| Arizona | $90,240 | $85,190 | 550 |
| Arkansas | $76,830 | $67,880 | 70 |
| California | $108,910 | $106,500 | 3,350 |
| Colorado | $132,120 | $114,410 | 1,480 |
| Connecticut | $67,580 | $61,810 | – |
| Delaware | $93,330 | $93,640 | 110 |
| Florida | $103,290 | $95,140 | 660 |
| Georgia | $85,320 | $73,920 | 340 |
| Hawaii | $106,100 | $106,270 | 110 |
| Idaho | $104,530 | $91,170 | 130 |
| Illinois | $109,290 | $96,950 | 410 |
| Indiana | $76,640 | $68,240 | 270 |
| Iowa | $77,720 | $74,460 | 40 |
| Kansas | $90,000 | $80,080 | 190 |
| Kentucky | $79,810 | $77,510 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $100,990 | $91,560 | 440 |
| Maine | $91,660 | $86,840 | 70 |
| Maryland | $114,240 | $110,510 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $133,880 | $108,210 | 420 |
| Michigan | $86,420 | $80,990 | 320 |
| Minnesota | $92,530 | $80,540 | 240 |
| Mississippi | $115,470 | $112,400 | 250 |
| Missouri | $91,250 | $83,390 | 260 |
| Montana | $85,330 | $75,520 | 210 |
| Nebraska | $87,510 | $85,550 | 110 |
| Nevada | $106,850 | $99,890 | 520 |
| New Hampshire | $98,390 | $101,150 | – |
| New Jersey | $93,180 | $88,500 | 300 |
| New Mexico | $94,290 | $88,530 | 160 |
| New York | $97,780 | $86,410 | 600 |
| North Carolina | $100,170 | $95,260 | 570 |
| North Dakota | $92,300 | $84,070 | 100 |
| Ohio | $86,230 | $81,220 | 410 |
| Oklahoma | $123,090 | $119,990 | 770 |
| Oregon | $103,270 | $98,110 | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $92,830 | $84,180 | 910 |
| Rhode Island | $119,270 | $121,010 | – |
| South Carolina | $91,120 | $86,070 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $72,030 | $71,150 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $84,130 | $77,870 | 230 |
| Texas | $160,070 | $145,220 | 4,900 |
| Utah | $97,600 | $89,990 | 300 |
| Vermont | $93,070 | $87,070 | – |
| Virginia | $105,120 | $88,390 | 300 |
| Washington | $117,140 | $105,020 | 840 |
| West Virginia | $83,010 | $76,060 | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $88,150 | $78,610 | 110 |
| Wyoming | $80,550 | $74,910 | 220 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$179,730
2,380 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$138,380
1,020 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$100,370
810 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$146,630
610 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$122,350
540 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$112,230
490 jobsOklahoma City, OK
$120,030
490 jobsSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$117,960
490 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers make?
The average is $116,150 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $101,920 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $55.84, and the median is $49.00 an hour.
Which state pays geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers the most?
Texas, with an average of $160,070 a year. The best-paying metro area is Midland, TX at $192,880.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $59,330 a year, and the top 10% earn over $200,230.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2042. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.