GeraLearn / US College Salaries / Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Salary (US)
US Bachelor’s graduates who studied Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences had a median income of $39,696 about one year after completing their degree — ranked #56 of 120 fields, below the $47,260 all-field median. A median, not a guarantee. Real U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard data (public domain).
What do US Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates typically earn after a Bachelor’s degree?
US Bachelor’s graduates who studied Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences had a median income of $39,696 about one year after completing their degree — ranking #56 of 120 fields and below the $47,260 all-field median. This is the typical (median) completer: half earned more, half earned less. It is not a guarantee. Source: U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard (public domain).
This page shows the typical (median) early-career income of US graduates who studied Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at Bachelor’s level, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study data. The median is the middle completer who was working and not enrolled in further study — half earned more and half earned less — so it describes a typical outcome about one year after completion rather than a promise. Earnings usually rise with experience.
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduate earnings — the numbers
| Measure | Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | All fields |
|---|---|---|
| Median income, ~1 year after completion | $39,696 | $47,260 |
| Rank by median earnings | #56 of 120 | — |
| Institution-level program medians rolled up | 109 | 25,739 |
| Working, non-enrolled completers | 3,976 | 2,523,626 |
Based on 3,976 working, non-enrolled completers across 109 institution- level program medians (2018-19 & 2019-20 award-year cohorts (about one year after completion)). College Scorecard measures earnings only about one year after completion; pay typically rises with experience beyond this point.
What this means
A median of $39,696 places Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at #56 of 120 fields, $7,564 below the $47,260 all-field median. Because this is the typical completer one year out, the field you study is only one of many factors — institution, region, role and experience all shape what an individual actually earns, and earnings generally rise across a career.
US college salary comparator
Pick a field of study to compare its typical (median) early-career earnings against the all-field median. Every figure is a real published College Scorecard median — not a guarantee.
Median early-career income
$39,696
Rank (of 120)
#56
Completers behind it
3,976
The $39,696 median for Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences is $7,564 below the $47,260 all-field median. It rolls up 109 published institution-level program medians.
Medians, not guarantees or averages. Figures are completer-count-weighted medians of real published College Scorecard institution-level program medians for Bachelor’s completers who were working and not enrolled, measured about one year after completion. Individual earnings vary by institution, region, role and experience. Nothing here is modelled or interpolated.
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences salary — FAQ
- What is the typical salary for US Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates?
- The median income for US Bachelor’s graduates who studied Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences was $39,696 about one year after completing their degree (2018-19 & 2019-20 award-year cohorts (about one year after completion)). The median is the typical completer who was working and not enrolled in further study — half earned more and half earned less. This figure rolls up 109 published institution-level program medians covering 3,976 completers. Source: U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard (public domain).
- Where does Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences rank among US fields of study for earnings?
- By median early-career earnings, Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences ranks #56 of 120 Bachelor’s fields in this College Scorecard rollup. Its $39,696 median is below the $47,260 all-field median. Rankings reflect typical outcomes by field, not the earning potential of any one graduate. Source: U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard (public domain).
- Is a Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduate guaranteed to earn $39,696?
- No. $39,696 is the median — the typical completer, not a guarantee or an average. Half of Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates earned less and half earned more, and individual earnings vary widely by institution, region, role and person. The figure also measures earnings only about one year after completion; pay typically rises with experience. Source: U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard (public domain).
- How is this earnings figure calculated?
- College Scorecard publishes one median per institution per program and suppresses small cells for privacy, so there is no single official national median per field. The figure here is the completer-count-weighted median of the published per-institution program medians for Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at Bachelor’s level (W-2 wages plus positive self-employment income from IRS records, for completers who were working and not enrolled). It is a transparent rollup of real published medians — not an official Department of Education figure and not an average.
- Is this real government data?
- Yes. Every input is a published U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard "Field of Study" median (release updated 2026-06-10), in the U.S. Government public domain. No figure is modelled, estimated, or interpolated — only real published institution-level medians are rolled up.
Compare with similar-earning fields
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$42,099
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$41,595
- Education, General$41,421
- Geography and Cartography$39,960
- Non-Professional Legal Studies$39,558
- Human Services, General$39,554
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$38,985
- Apparel and Textiles$38,262
Researching where to live and work too?
See US county opportunity profiles for education, median household income and employment by county, from real Census ACS data.
Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard, Field of Study (Bachelor’s). Figures are from the College Scorecard Field of Study release (updated 2026-06-10), covering US Bachelor’s completers who were working and not enrolled in further study, measured about one year after completion (W-2 wages plus positive self-employment income, IRS records). U.S. Government public domain. The $39,696 headline is a completer-count-weighted median of real published institution-level program medians — the typical graduate, not an average and not a guarantee. Last refreshed 2026-06-27. No figure is modelled or interpolated.