Works at a drilling rig analyzing rock cuttings and gas brought up in the drilling mud to record what formations the well is passing through. BLS does not publish separate figures for geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians; it counts them within geological technician, except hydrologic technicians (SOC 19-4043), whose median pay is $53,350 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
- SOC 19-4043
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Mud Logger in four numbers
- Median pay
- $53,350a year, or $25.65/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $100K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,0007,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20257.3K
- Projected 20357.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 7.3K Projected 2035 7.6K - Typical education
- Associate'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Mudlogger, Mud Logging Geologist, Mudlogging Technician, Logging Geologist, Data Engineer (Mud Logging).
Pay
How much do Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians make?
Every mud logger in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$53,350
Middle half earn $44,850 to $72,110
- 10th
- $35,770
- 25th
- $44,850
- 75th
- $72,110
- 90th
- $99,560
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,770 |
| 25th | $44,850 |
| Median | $53,350 |
| 75th | $72,110 |
| 90th | $99,560 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $53,350
- Median hourly wage
- $25.65/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $61,870
- People employed
- 6,980
Versus all US occupations
At $53,350, Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians earn 5% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,370 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 35% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $99,560 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,770, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 26% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Maryland pays the most at $102,090, and still leads at $97,267 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Maryland | $102,090 | $97,267 | 30 |
| 2Indiana | $79,290 | $84,958 | N/A |
| 3Alaska | $76,090 | $74,336 | 70 |
| 4Nevada | $73,700 | $73,715 | 260 |
| 5California | $69,410 | $62,690 | 480 |
| 6West Virginia | $69,350 | $77,489 | 60 |
| 7Washington | $63,910 | $59,722 | N/A |
| 8Nebraska | $63,160 | $70,098 | N/A |
| 9Wyoming | $63,070 | $68,043 | 90 |
| 10Tennessee | $63,050 | $68,630 | 110 |
Job outlook
Is Mud Logger a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | +3.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,000 openings are projected each year, 13.7% of the 7,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Mud Logger
Many mud loggers have a degree or coursework in geology, though some companies hire people with a science background or strong technical aptitude and train them. Training covers sample description, gas detection systems and rig safety, and new hires usually work alongside an experienced logger before running a unit alone.
Rig safety orientation and well site training are required before going on location. Mud logging is a common entry point for geology graduates, and experienced loggers often move up to wellsite geologist, operations geologist or data engineering roles. Some employers prefer candidates who are comfortable living on rigs for long stretches and working without close supervision.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Mud Logger do?
Mud loggers keep a running record of what a drill bit is cutting through. As drilling fluid circulates up the well, it carries rock chips and gas from the formation. The mud logger collects samples, washes and examines the cuttings under a microscope, and describes the rock type, texture and any signs of oil.
They also monitor gas detectors and drilling sensors for changes that may signal a productive zone or a dangerous pressure kick. The result is the mud log, a depth-based chart that geologists and engineers use to make decisions about where to steer, core or stop drilling.
Day-to-day tasks
- Collect and wash drill cuttings at set depth intervals
- Describe rock samples under a microscope
- Monitor gas detectors for hydrocarbon shows
- Watch drilling data for signs of abnormal pressure
- Build the mud log of lithology and gas readings by depth
- Report formation tops and shows to the wellsite geologist
- Calibrate and maintain logging unit sensors
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Mud loggers live at the rig in a small logging trailer or offshore unit, working rotations that keep them away from home for weeks. Shifts are often twelve hours, day or night. The setting is remote and can be noisy, muddy and exposed to the weather. Living quarters are shared with rig crews, and loggers must be comfortable with isolation and irregular sleep schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Mathematics2.8
- Active Learning2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Time Management3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Operation and Control2.8
- Persuasion2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Operation and Control | 2.8 |
| Persuasion | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base reporting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Mud Logger?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIC) built on O*NET's Geological Technician, Except Hydrologic Technicians profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Mud Logger |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.7
- Conventional5.3
- Investigative5.3
- Social1.5
- Artistic1.3
- Enterprising1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Mud Logger
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
Geological Technician, Except Hydrologic Technicians
$53,350median a year
Most earn $36K to $100K
+3.6%Associate's - Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Architecture and Engineering
- Architecture and Engineering
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
Environmental Science and Protection Technician, Including Health
$55,090median a year
Most earn $38K to $94K
+6.9%Associate's - Architecture and Engineering
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
- Mud Logger$53,350
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
| Mud Logger | $53,350 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Mud Logger appears on
Questions
Mud Logger: frequently asked questions
How much do Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians. It counts them within geological technician, except hydrologic technicians, whose median pay is $53,350 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $44,850 and $72,110, and the top 10% earn $99,560 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Mud Logger?
Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Mud Logger a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Mud Logger do?
Mud loggers keep a running record of what a drill bit is cutting through. A typical task: collect and wash drill cuttings at set depth intervals. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians are Maryland ($102,090), Indiana ($79,290), Alaska ($76,090) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Mud Logger?
O*NET scores Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.