Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Measure characteristics of the Earth, such as gravity or magnetic fields, using equipment such as seismographs, gravimeters, torsion balances, or magnetometers.
• Test industrial diamonds or abrasives, soil, or rocks to determine their geological characteristics, using optical, x-ray, heat, acid, or precision instruments.
• Determine ways to mitigate the negative consequences of mineral dust dispersion.
• Design geological mine maps, monitor mine structural integrity, or advise and monitor mining crews.
• Review environmental, historical, or technical reports and publications for accuracy.
• Review work plans to determine the effectiveness of activities for mitigating soil or groundwater contamination.
• Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities.
• Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities.
• Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software.
• Identify risks for natural disasters, such as mudslides, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions.
• Determine methods to incorporate geomethane or methane hydrates into global energy production or evaluate the potential environmental impacts of such incorporation.
• Collaborate with medical or health researchers to address health problems related to geological materials or processes.
• Develop applied software for the analysis and interpretation of geological data.
• Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software.
• Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos.
• Locate and review research articles or environmental, historical, or technical reports.
• Identify deposits of construction materials suitable for use as concrete aggregates, road fill, or other applications.
• Identify new sources of platinum group elements for industrial applications, such as automotive fuel cells or pollution abatement systems.
• Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, using test equipment or drilling machinery.
• Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application.
• Prepare geological maps, cross-sectional diagrams, charts, or reports concerning mineral extraction, land use, or resource management, using results of fieldwork or laboratory research.
• Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, using test equipment or drilling machinery.
• Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities.
• Develop ways to capture or use gases burned off as waste during oil production processes.
• Study historical climate change indicators found in locations, such as ice sheets or rock formations to develop climate change models.
• Identify risks for natural disasters, such as mudslides, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions.
• Provide advice on the safe siting of new nuclear reactor projects or methods of nuclear waste management.
• Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.
• Conduct geological or geophysical studies to provide information for use in regional development, site selection, or development of public works projects.
• Assess ground or surface water movement to provide advice on issues, such as waste management, route and site selection, or the restoration of contaminated sites.
• Locate potential sources of geothermal energy.
• Develop strategies for more environmentally friendly resource extraction and reclamation.
• Locate and estimate probable natural gas, oil, or mineral ore deposits or underground water resources, using aerial photographs, charts, or research or survey results.
• Determine methods to incorporate geomethane or methane hydrates into global energy production or evaluate the potential environmental impacts of such incorporation.
• Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application.
• Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos.
• Advise construction firms or government agencies on dam or road construction, foundation design, land use, or resource management.
• Research geomechanical or geochemical processes to be used in carbon sequestration projects.
• Research ways to reduce the ecological footprint of increasingly prevalent megacities.

Skills

• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

Abilities

• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

Knowledge

• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Eastern Washington University
  526 5th Street, Cheney WA 99004-2496
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-359-6200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.ewu.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Environmental Geosciences
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save
  Program Name
  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Pacific Lutheran University
  12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma WA 98447-0003
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-535-7411
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.plu.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Puget Sound
  1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma WA 98416
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-879-3100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.pugetsound.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Bothell Campus
  18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell WA 98011-8246
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 425-352-5000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.uwb.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree, Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geophysics and Seismology
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geophysics and Seismology
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Marine Sciences
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitman College
  345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla WA 99362
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-5111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitman.edu/
  Program Name
  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geology/Earth Science, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Geochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

99780/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

47.97/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

1,470

Yearly Projected Openings

170

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Analytical Thinking
• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Persistence
• Initiative
• Cooperation

Tools

• All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
• Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
• Axes
• Bench scales
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Chemical absorption gas analyzers
• Chromatographic scanners
• Clinometers
• Cold chisels
• Colorimeters
• Commercial fishing nets
• Compasses
• Compressed air gun
• Conductivity cells
• Conductivity meters
• Cyclone or vortex grinders
• Desktop computers
• Digital cameras
• Dissolved oxygen meters
• Drafting kits or sets
• Dredgers
• Drying cabinets or ovens
• Electromagnetic geophysical instruments
• Electron microscopes
• Electronic toploading balances
• Forestry increment borers
• Fume hoods or cupboards
• Geological compasses
• Global positioning system GPS receiver
• Graphics tablets
• Gravimeters
• Hammers
• Heating or drying equipment or accessories
• Height gauges
• Hydraulic rock drills
• Inductively coupled plasma ICP spectrometers
• Ion chromatographs
• Jaw crushers
• Laboratory box furnaces
• Laboratory crushers or pulverizers
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
• Laboratory mixers
• Laboratory separators
• Laboratory sifting equipment
• Laser printers
• Levels
• Magnetometer geophysical instruments
• Magnifiers
• Mainframe computers
• Map measurers
• Mass spectrometers
• Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
• Microscope slides
• Nitrogen gas analyzers
• Notebook computers
• Open stream current meters
• Open stream water level recorders
• Optical diffraction apparatus
• Organic carbon analyzers
• Paramagnetic susceptibility analyzers
• Penetrometers
• Personal computers
• Pestle or mortars
• Picks
• Plotter printers
• Pneumatic rock drills
• Polarizing microscopes
• Portable data input terminals
• Portable seismic apparatus
• Protractors
• Pry bars
• Radarbased surveillance systems
• Radiation detectors
• Rangefinders
• Resistivity geophysical instruments
• Reverse osmosis equipment
• Rock cutters
• Sand testing apparatus
• Scanners
• Scintillation crystal assemblies
• Seismic geophones
• Seismic recorders or seismographs
• Soil core sampling apparatus
• Soil testing kits
• Solid phase extraction preparations
• Sonars
• Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
• Spectrometers
• Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
• Test sieves
• Theodolites
• Thermistor
• Thermographs
• Titration equipment
• Transmission electron microscopes
• Triple beam balances
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
• Ultraviolet UV lamps
• Underwater cameras
• Vacuum or rotary evaporators
• Video attachments for microscopes
• Water analyzers
• Water samplers
• Well logging downhole test equipment
• Winches
• X ray diffraction equipment
• pH meters

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Data conversion software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• File versioning software
• Geographic information system
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Internet browser software
• Map creation software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Project management software
• Spreadsheet software
• Web platform development software
• Word processing software