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Geoscientist : Salary and conditions

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  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
  3. Entry requirements
  4. Training
  5. Career development
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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £28,000 - £35,000, depending on level of qualification on entry. This usually increases significantly following completion of necessary training.
  • Range of typical salaries at senior level: £35,000 - £70,000 rising up to £130,000 at management level with over ten years’ experience.
  • Salaries vary considerably according to sector, employer's business and location, and level of qualification (graduates will generally have either an MSc or PhD). When positions are based offshore or in risky or remote locations, this is often reflected in higher salaries. The best paid jobs are in major oil companies, but some consultancies pay well too. It is usual to receive a variety of benefits, such as overseas allowances and share options. Pay is occasionally performance-related.
  • Unsocial, irregular and long hours may sometimes be required and are a common feature of work overseas. Geoscientists may need to be contactable to assess data and assist the wellsite geologist in making decisions about drilling, which takes place 24 hours a day.
  • Physical conditions may sometimes be tough and demanding. Geoscientists are predominantly land-based, but make occasional visits to rigs to collect data directly and carry out quality control checks on the sampling procedures.
  • Self-employment and freelance work are sometimes possible. For example, freelancers may be able to get interpreting contracts. It is also possible to establish your own consultancy after considerable experience in a particular field, such as base metal exploration or sedimentology.
  • Women are quite well represented in European-based processing and appraisal work with oil companies, and their numbers are increasing, particularly at entry level, although it is still less usual to find women working in positions overseas.
  • Jobs are available in restricted locations. In the UK, interpreting is mainly based in southeast England and Aberdeen. Positions are available worldwide in oil and mineral exploration and there are small specialist consultancies across the UK. Minerals exploration is almost exclusively overseas.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
July 2011
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