Pay by state · 50 states
Geoscientist, Except Hydrologists and Geographers Salary by State (2026)
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers earn the most in Texas at $145,220 a year and the least in Connecticut at $61,810 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $101,920. All 50 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $145,220Texas
- National median
- $101,920BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $61,810Connecticut
- States reporting
- 50of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Geoscientist, Except Hydrologists and Geographers salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TXTexas | $145,220 | $83,280 | $223,850 | 4,900 | $149,623 |
| 2 | RIRhode Island | $121,010 | $96,470 | $142,480 | N/A | $118,312 |
| 3 | OKOklahoma | $119,990 | $86,970 | $161,860 | 770 | $136,596 |
| 4 | COColorado | $114,410 | $82,360 | $162,450 | 1,480 | $111,022 |
| 5 | MSMississippi | $112,400 | $91,560 | $136,990 | 250 | $129,265 |
| 6 | MDMaryland | $110,510 | $73,930 | $143,240 | 390 | $105,289 |
| 7 | MAMassachusetts | $108,210 | $80,940 | $177,130 | 420 | $102,319 |
| 8 | AKAlaska | $107,410 | $89,400 | $136,700 | 430 | $104,935 |
| 9 | CACalifornia | $106,500 | $73,850 | $138,120 | 3,350 | $96,189 |
| 10 | HIHawaii | $106,270 | $83,070 | $121,010 | 110 | $96,652 |
| 11 | WAWashington | $105,020 | $83,450 | $136,470 | 840 | $98,138 |
| 12 | NHNew Hampshire | $101,150 | $72,620 | $109,470 | N/A | $97,106 |
| 13 | NVNevada | $99,890 | $83,740 | $128,340 | 520 | $99,911 |
| 14 | OROregon | $98,110 | $80,400 | $116,410 | 380 | $94,920 |
| 15 | ILIllinois | $96,950 | $74,390 | $149,030 | 410 | $96,991 |
| 16 | NCNorth Carolina | $95,260 | $71,170 | $125,220 | 570 | $100,990 |
| 17 | FLFlorida | $95,140 | $69,220 | $119,990 | 660 | $91,999 |
| 18 | DEDelaware | $93,640 | $92,240 | $94,850 | 110 | $93,820 |
| 19 | LALouisiana | $91,560 | $60,780 | $131,400 | 440 | $103,801 |
| 20 | IDIdaho | $91,170 | $81,940 | $119,430 | 130 | $95,472 |
| 21 | UTUtah | $89,990 | $81,010 | $110,660 | 300 | $91,024 |
| 22 | ALAlabama | $88,610 | $63,130 | $106,200 | 110 | $99,760 |
| 23 | NMNew Mexico | $88,530 | $72,690 | $103,380 | 160 | $96,007 |
| 24 | NJNew Jersey | $88,500 | $70,430 | $100,720 | 300 | $81,338 |
| 25 | VAVirginia | $88,390 | $71,640 | $127,770 | 300 | $87,425 |
| 26 | VTVermont | $87,070 | $67,030 | $121,850 | N/A | $88,885 |
| 27 | MEMaine | $86,840 | $79,350 | $99,710 | 70 | $89,480 |
| 28 | NYNew York | $86,410 | $72,020 | $109,270 | 600 | $80,068 |
| 29 | SCSouth Carolina | $86,070 | $63,430 | $123,090 | 230 | $91,809 |
| 30 | NENebraska | $85,550 | $65,510 | $98,450 | 110 | $94,947 |
| 31 | AZArizona | $85,190 | $63,330 | $105,010 | 550 | $84,617 |
| 32 | PAPennsylvania | $84,180 | $68,970 | $109,990 | 910 | $86,275 |
| 33 | NDNorth Dakota | $84,070 | $63,560 | $105,200 | 100 | $94,504 |
| 34 | MOMissouri | $83,390 | $67,070 | $108,830 | 260 | $91,822 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $81,220 | $60,820 | $100,860 | 410 | $87,546 |
| 36 | MIMichigan | $80,990 | $66,130 | $95,650 | 320 | $84,174 |
| 37 | MNMinnesota | $80,540 | $62,220 | $111,220 | 240 | $81,666 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $80,080 | $63,690 | $105,680 | 190 | $88,911 |
| 39 | WIWisconsin | $78,610 | $67,670 | $100,440 | 110 | $83,543 |
| 40 | TNTennessee | $77,870 | $63,790 | $100,340 | 230 | $84,761 |
| 41 | KYKentucky | $77,510 | $58,230 | $99,100 | 170 | $85,970 |
| 42 | WVWest Virginia | $76,060 | $61,180 | $100,420 | 90 | $84,986 |
| 43 | MTMontana | $75,520 | $68,900 | $99,270 | 210 | $79,793 |
| 44 | WYWyoming | $74,910 | $55,650 | $98,480 | 220 | $80,817 |
| 45 | IAIowa | $74,460 | $63,500 | $89,670 | 40 | $84,843 |
| 46 | GAGeorgia | $73,920 | $61,570 | $102,270 | 340 | $76,766 |
| 47 | SDSouth Dakota | $71,150 | $64,990 | $75,990 | 80 | $80,317 |
| 48 | INIndiana | $68,240 | $56,020 | $89,550 | 270 | $73,118 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $67,880 | $61,330 | $91,900 | 70 | $78,080 |
| 50 | CTConnecticut | $61,810 | $61,160 | $64,550 | N/A | $59,656 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers, that changes the ranking: Texas leads on raw pay at $145,220, while Texas leads once prices are taken into account at $149,623.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Geoscientist, Except Hydrologists and Geographers pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers the most?
Texas reports the highest median wage for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers at $145,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Rhode Island ($121,010) and Oklahoma ($119,990).
Which state pays Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers the least?
Connecticut reports the lowest median for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers at $61,810 a year, $83,410 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Texas first at $149,623 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $145,220. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
