occupation · 19-2042 · detailed
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers — wages and employment
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers earned a median annual wage of $99,240 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,510 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers earned a median annual wage of $99,240 in the United States in May 2024, with 22,510 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $58,790 or less, the best-paid tenth $178,880 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $92,580 to $99,240, +7.2 %. The best-paying state is Texas at $155,330; the lowest Georgia at $62,850. Among metropolitan areas, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX pays the highest median, $168,280. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 22,510 | $99,240 | $111,310 | $58,790 | $72,440 | $134,350 | $178,880 | $47.71 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 24,620 | $92,580 | $104,000 | $52,500 | $66,280 | $127,480 | $172,600 | $44.51 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $155,330 | 3,620 |
| Rhode Island | $128,870 | — |
| Oklahoma | $128,240 | 910 |
| Mississippi | $113,730 | 260 |
| California | $111,400 | 3,150 |
| Alaska | $105,910 | 370 |
| Utah | $104,000 | 340 |
| Vermont | $102,190 | 30 |
| Hawaii | $100,690 | 130 |
| Colorado | $99,900 | 1,420 |
| Washington | $99,780 | 840 |
| Maryland | $99,200 | 370 |
| Massachusetts | $98,720 | 210 |
| West Virginia | $95,640 | 130 |
| Missouri | $95,210 | 180 |
| Oregon | $95,120 | 450 |
| Florida | $95,110 | 760 |
| Nevada | $95,090 | 510 |
| Virginia | $94,160 | 310 |
| New Mexico | $93,720 | 90 |
| North Dakota | $90,770 | — |
| Idaho | $89,860 | 220 |
| Nebraska | $85,500 | 90 |
| Illinois | $85,420 | 320 |
| New York | $84,910 | 700 |
| Montana | $84,630 | 180 |
| Arizona | $83,630 | 510 |
| Delaware | $82,970 | 60 |
| Michigan | $81,800 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $80,610 | 110 |
| Alabama | $80,310 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $79,710 | 490 |
| Indiana | $79,290 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,890 | 750 |
| New Jersey | $78,840 | 380 |
| Connecticut | $78,460 | — |
| New Hampshire | $78,050 | — |
| Maine | $77,210 | 60 |
| Kansas | $76,980 | 280 |
| Tennessee | $76,610 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $76,600 | 170 |
| Ohio | $73,120 | 400 |
| Iowa | $73,070 | 40 |
| Wyoming | $72,590 | 280 |
| Minnesota | $72,490 | 280 |
| Louisiana | $72,340 | 420 |
| South Dakota | $72,280 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $68,990 | 150 |
| Puerto Rico | $68,830 | 40 |
| Arkansas | $65,250 | 100 |
| Georgia | $62,850 | 330 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $168,280 | 1,760 |
| Midland, TX | $165,830 | 250 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $142,150 | 60 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $136,250 | 430 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $130,580 | 330 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $129,880 | 50 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $129,730 | — |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $128,710 | 150 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $128,240 | 560 |
| Tulsa, OK | $126,270 | 270 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,270 | 540 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $122,450 | 70 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $120,600 | 180 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $120,580 | 120 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $120,550 | 120 |
| Boulder, CO | $115,740 | 110 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $115,240 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $115,120 | 480 |
| Fresno, CA | $115,120 | 80 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $114,960 | 880 |
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