The American Geological Institute (AGI) Workforce Program reports on geoscientist salaries by years of experience in the most recent Geoscience Currents.
AGI has found that between 2004 and 2005, geoscientist starting salaries jumped by nearly ten percent. In comparison, salaries increased 20 percent in late career geoscientists in that same time period.
As expected, with higher education comes higher pay. But because of continuing shortages of experienced geoscientists, mid-career geoscientists with only a Bachelors degree can out-earn those with higher degrees, with an average salary of $135,000 with 10-14 years of experience, compared to only $103,000 for doctoral geoscientists with the same experience.
Geoscience Currents provides data snapshots and short reports to shed light into the issue of the overall health of the geoscience profession. From scholarships to employment opportunities, the effect of retirements, to university enrollment trends, Geoscience Currents provides up to-the-minute glimpses into all areas of the geosciences, from academia, government, and industry to educational opportunities and university demographics.
To subscribe to this free service go to http://www.agiweb.org/workforce and click “Register.” Also on the website are previous Geoscience Current issues and other reports completed by the Workforce Program, as well as other resources pertaining to geoscience careers.
The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.