---
title: "Geological Technician, Except Hydrologic Technicians"
description: "Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/geological-technician"
last-updated: "2026-10-09T10:57:55.138Z"
---

# Geological Technician, Except Hydrologic Technicians

**Category:** Life, Physical, and Social Science · **SOC code:** 19-4043 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 19-4043.00

Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to obtain data indicating resources such as metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum. Analyze mud and drill cuttings. Chart pressure, temperature, and other characteristics of wells or bore holes.

Also advertised as: Core Inspector; Environmental Field Services Technician; Environmental Sampling Technician; Geological E-Logger; Geological Technician; Geoscience Technician; Geotechnician; Materials Technician.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $53,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $25.65/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $35,770 to $99,560, with the middle half between $44,850 and $72,110
- **Total US employment:** 6,980
- **Typical entry education:** Associate's
- **Preparation required:** Medium preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +3.6% over 2025–2035 (BLS EP, 2025–2035)
- **Annual job openings:** 1,000 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 29/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 6,980 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $35,770 |
| 25th | $44,850 |
| 50th (median) | $53,350 |
| 75th | $72,110 |
| 90th | $99,560 |
| Mean (average) | $61,870 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MD | $102,090 | $97,267 | 30 |
| IN | $79,290 | $84,958 | Not published by BLS |
| AK | $76,090 | $74,336 | 70 |
| NV | $73,700 | $73,715 | 260 |
| CA | $69,410 | $62,690 | 480 |
| WV | $69,350 | $77,489 | 60 |
| WA | $63,910 | $59,722 | Not published by BLS |
| NE | $63,160 | $70,098 | Not published by BLS |
| WY | $63,070 | $68,043 | 90 |
| TN | $63,050 | $68,630 | 110 |
| CO | $61,780 | $59,950 | 90 |
| MA | $61,630 | $58,275 | 40 |
| NM | $59,520 | $64,547 | Not published by BLS |
| VA | $59,290 | $58,643 | Not published by BLS |
| LA | $59,120 | $67,024 | 160 |

20 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 35 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/geological-technician/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/geological-technician.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 7,300 in the 2025–2035 base year to 7,600 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 300 jobs, or +3.6%. About as fast as average: 3.6% against 3.5% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 1,000 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Medium preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Moderate-term on-the-job training.

## What the work involves

- Test and analyze samples to determine their content and characteristics, using laboratory apparatus or testing equipment.
- Collect or prepare solid or fluid samples for analysis.
- Compile, log, or record testing or operational data for review and further analysis.
- Adjust or repair testing, electrical, or mechanical equipment or devices.
- Prepare or review professional, technical, or other reports regarding sampling, testing, or recommendations of data analysis.
- Prepare notes, sketches, geological maps, or cross-sections.
- Read and study reports in order to compile information and data for geological and geophysical prospecting.
- Plot information from aerial photographs, well logs, section descriptions, or other databases.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Time Management — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Coordination — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operations Monitoring — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operation and Control — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Persuasion — importance 2.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Computers and Electronics — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Chemistry — importance 3.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Physics — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Written Comprehension — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Information Ordering — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Expression — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Realistic (R), Conventional (C), Investigative (I).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 5.60 |
| C — Conventional | 5.34 |
| I — Investigative | 5.18 |
| S — Social | 1.46 |
| A — Artistic | 1.28 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.11 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 93.5 |
| ISTP | 81.3 |
| INTJ | 79.2 |
| ISFJ | 72.7 |
| ESTJ | 69.3 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Hydrologic Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/hydrologic-technician) — median $64,790
- [Surveying and Mapping Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/surveying-and-mapping-technician) — median $54,240
- [Geodetic Surveyor](https://nuecareer.com/careers/geodetic-surveyor) — median $75,440
- [Environmental Science and Protection Technician, Including Health](https://nuecareer.com/careers/environmental-science-and-protection-technician) — median $55,090
- [Calibration Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/calibration-technologist-and-technician) — median $67,820
- [Environmental Engineering Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/environmental-engineering-technologist-and-technician) — median $59,920
- [Chemical Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/chemical-technician) — median $60,390
- [Remote Sensing Scientist and Technologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/remote-sensing-scientist-and-technologist) — median $122,570
- [Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/mechanical-engineering-technologist-and-technician) — median $74,510
- [Remote Sensing Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/remote-sensing-technician) — median $62,280

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 31.0 Database, August 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/geological-technician