Best degree programs for Geological Technicians, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 511 schools train Geological Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $53,350 median wage, 6,980 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 511 schools train geological technicians, graduating 8,645 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Geology/Earth Science, General. The job pays a median of $53,350 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About geological technicians
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 40.0601 | 5,615 | 65.0% | 433 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 2 | CIP 41.9999 | 2,473 | 28.6% | 56 | $49,936 | $22,636 |
| 3 | Petroleum Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 15.0903 | 254 | 2.9% | 22 | $59,357 | $18,848 |
| 4 | CIP 41.0000 | 155 | 1.8% | 19 | $71,144 | $10,229 |
| 5 | CIP 41.0303 | 85 | 1.0% | 10 | $51,860 | $11,959 |
| 6 | Mining Technology/Technicianmain feeder CIP 15.0901 | 61 | 0.7% | 3 | $59,357 | $18,848 |
| 7 | CIP 41.0399 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $51,860 | $11,959 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What geological technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $34,710 | 30 | 0.14× | 22 | 1,343 |
| California | $69,410 | 480 | 0.59× | 69 | 715 |
| Texas | $46,840 | 2,190 | 3.47× | 36 | 586 |
| Nevadamoderate | $73,700 | 260 | 3.79× | 4 | 396 |
| New York | $57,150 | 280 | 0.65× | 35 | 385 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,380 | 240 | 0.87× | 23 | 303 |
| Arizona | $50,160 | — | — | 9 | 293 |
| Ohio | $48,890 | 130 | 0.53× | 22 | 259 |
| Washington | $63,910 | — | — | 8 | 257 |
| Colorado | $61,780 | 90 | 0.71× | 17 | 252 |
| Maryland | $102,090 | 30 | 0.27× | 8 | 251 |
| North Carolina | $48,090 | 250 | 1.15× | 10 | 251 |
| Michigan | $58,860 | 150 | 0.74× | 15 | 241 |
| Illinois | $53,280 | 80 | 0.29× | 12 | 216 |
| Tennessee | $63,050 | 110 | 0.75× | 11 | 167 |
| Indiana | $79,290 | — | — | 13 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $69,350 | 60 | 2.02× | 9 | 159 |
| Louisiana | $59,120 | 160 | 1.79× | 9 | 149 |
| Massachusetts | $61,630 | 40 | 0.23× | 15 | 146 |
| Florida | $49,980 | 300 | 0.67× | 6 | 129 |
| Virginia | $59,290 | — | — | 8 | 118 |
| Oklahoma | $46,890 | 410 | 5.28× | 6 | 97 |
| Oregon | $55,090 | 70 | 0.74× | 6 | 90 |
| Kansas | $52,430 | — | — | 7 | 88 |
| Montana | $55,520 | 100 | 4.46× | 5 | 73 |
| South Carolina | $53,160 | 90 | 0.82× | 5 | 59 |
| Kentucky | $49,840 | 60 | 0.68× | 6 | 56 |
| Idaho | $46,680 | 70 | 1.80× | 8 | 53 |
| New Mexico | $59,520 | — | — | 6 | 53 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $47,250 | 30 | 0.58× | 4 | 52 |
| Alaskalimited | $76,090 | 70 | 4.90× | 2 | 36 |
| Alabamamoderate | $35,670 | — | — | 3 | 36 |
| Wyominglimited | $63,070 | 90 | 6.83× | 2 | 23 |
| Nebraskalimited | $63,160 | — | — | 2 | 20 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $51,240 | 90 | 4.49× | 4 | 19 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Prepare notes, sketches, geological maps, or cross-sections.
- Participate in geological, geophysical, geochemical, hydrographic, or oceanographic surveys, prospecting field trips, exploratory drilling, well logging, or underground mine survey programs.
- Prepare or review professional, technical, or other reports regarding sampling, testing, or recommendations of data analysis.
- Adjust or repair testing, electrical, or mechanical equipment or devices.
- Read and study reports in order to compile information and data for geological and geophysical prospecting.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Mathematics2.8
- Active Learning2.8
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics3.5
- Engineering and Technology3.5
- Mathematics3.5
- English Language3.5
- Chemistry3.2
- Physics3.1
Abilities
- Written Comprehension3.9
- Oral Comprehension3.8
- Information Ordering3.5
- Near Vision3.5
- Oral Expression3.4
- Inductive Reasoning3.4
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.3
- Working with Computers4.1
- Getting Information4.1
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.9
- Processing Information3.8
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.6
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Geological Technician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 8 majors mapped to Geological Technicians7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0901Mining Technology/Technician
- 15.0903Petroleum Technology/Technician
- 15.0999Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians, Other(no graduates reported)
- 40.0601Geology/Earth Science, General
- 41.0000Science Technologies/Technicians, General
- 41.0303Chemical Process Technology
- 41.0399Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 41.9999Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Geological Technician?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Geology/Earth Science, General, which awarded 5,615 degrees in 2024-25, 65.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Geological Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Science Technologies/Technicians, Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians, Science Technologies/Technicians, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 8,645 people a year.
How much do geological technicians earn?+
The median is $53,350 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $35,770 at the 10th percentile to $99,560 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for geological technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +1.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 1,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
511 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do geological technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Geotechnician, Materials Technician, Geological Technician, Physical Science Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4043.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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