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Other Geological & Earth Sciences

Types of Degrees Other Geological & Earth Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Geological & Earth Sciences can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	16
Bachelor’s Degree	581
Master’s Degree	200
Doctor’s Degree	66

What Other Geological & Earth Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Other Geological & Earth Sciences build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Other Geological & Earth Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Other Geological & Earth Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Other Geological & Earth Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Geological & Earth Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Oceanography Professor
• Atmospheric Sciences Professor
• Geophysics Professor
• Research Professor
• Geomorphology Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Geology Professor
• Stratigraphy Teacher
• Mineral Industry Teacher
• Astronomy Professor
• Hydrology Teacher
• Geology Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	31.1%
Master’s degree	28.5%
Doctoral degree	14.1%
Post-doctoral training	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	4.0%
Some college courses	3.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Geological & Earth Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50.8% women and 49.2% men among Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	438	50.8%
Men	425	49.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	561	65.0%
Asian	39	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	74	8.6%
Black or African American	29	3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	48	5.6%
Race Unknown	25	2.9%
International Students	83	9.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Geological & Earth Sciences Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,682
4 years	$54,219
5 years	$61,701

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $61,701 — roughly 45% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Geological & Earth Sciences Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Other Geological & Earth Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	1
Master’s	2	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Geological & Earth Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Geological & Earth Sciences graduates earn a median of $54,219 four years after completion — roughly 43% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	40.06
Geochemistry and Petrology	40.0606
Geochemistry	40.0602
Geology/Earth Science, General	40.0601
Geophysics and Seismology	40.0603
Hydrology and Water Resources Science	40.0605
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical	40.0607
Paleontology	40.0604
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other	40.0299
Astronomy	40.0201
Astrophysics	40.0202
Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology	40.0402

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.