Any geologists here? Looking for career advice

I'm starting college at Westminster College in SLC, Utah this year and will be majoring in Geology. I'm an Army ROTC student, so I'll be in the army for at least 4 years afterwards, during which time I may be able to get my masters. I'm looking at jobs that will allow me to live in states like Utah, Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming, work out of doors, and still make enough money to afford my hobbies! (Truck, motorcycles, guns, etc).

My question to any geologists on here is what does your work consist of day-to-day, what the most lucrative fields are for geology, and any advice you might have. Thanks!

 

I will be following this! I wanted to be a geologist first, then later a cartographer (map maker)... It all came from my travels as a kid in my parents Jeep in Baja and the desert.

I got diverted during junior college into irrigation, but drawing maps and collecting rocks has always been fun for me.

 

Howdy,

I've been working in the mining industry as a geologist for only a bit over 5 years so I don't have definitive answers but I may be able to offer some insight to at least help.

I have worked in underground and surface gold mines and am currently in the exploration side. So those are really the only things I can help with any kind of certainty.

Anyway, day to day tasks on the mine side vary depending on the type of mine but generally entry level will start with logging core/chips, checking on the drill rigs, mapping the geology of headings/benches, collecting samples for assay. After some time you'll get into drill planning, geologic modeling, and budgets. For exploration it's different in that there is far more independent responsibility. You're exposed to much more geologic variability and should be ready to work with many different mineralization styles and settings. If there potential then you need to be able to create and present a budget. Expect to work alone in the field so basic vehicle maintenance and first aid is recommended.

That's a pretty quick overview but feel free to pm me questions and I can certainly try to help.

In regards to geology work elsewhere. Oil/gas is by far the most lucrative. But from what I have been told you do need a Masters at a minimum to be considered for those jobs. Mining also pays well but second to oil/gas. Other areas are the government (BLM, USGS, etc.), engineering/environmental firms, and academic. I'm sure there are others too.

I'll wrap this up but I love what I do. There are definitely days where it sucks but more good then bad. When away from the computer it's good physical work but be prepared to create and maintain spreadsheets...

Hope that helps!

 

I wish that I had finished my degree in geology. I think most geologists enter the field based upon an intense interest in geology and all that it represents, not for the potential millions to be earned. If you choose geology, then do it all the way and be the best at it...then the millions will follow.

 

...and pay attention in Optical Minerology!

 

The folks who come in only looking to keep busy and make money wash out fast.

 

Thanks a lot for that information-I sent you a PM. I'm sure it'd be a field involving a whole bunch of hard work, but that doesn't dissuade me at all. Everything worthwhile requires a lot of elbow grease.

 

Congrats on your career choice & ROTC.
I am not a geologist though had interest since I was very young.
Made different choices & retired from the Army in 07.
My sister's husband has been a Geologist for over 30 yrs for a large, global industrial mineral company.
He travels the world and loves it. I have had the opportunity to tour the local plant & quarries with him.
I find it fascinating.
VT is/was big for its Marble & Granite.
Best of luck to you

 

I am a petroleum geologist by trade. Finished my degree at Wichita State, and got hired before I graduated.

Day to day I'm in the office doing exploration work. This consists of scanning data from the 1940's all the way to now, and incorporating that into a database. I will look at electric logs, geologic reports of previous wells, test data, and various other tidbits of data. The info is used to evaluate reservoirs, make maps and come up with prospects for drilling locations. We also incorporate 3D seismic into finding locations, though a geophysicist is hired for most of the seismic interpretation.

On occasion, I am a field geologist and get to go out while we are drilling. My job in the field is #1 to supervise the wellsite, #2 look at samples and keep drilling time to figure out where we are in the subsurface, #3 test reservoirs, #4 sleep when I get a chance. (priorities not necessarily in that order).

Being in the field is a must for me. Too much office time gets me feeling like a dog in a cage. And getting out gives me a chance to get my truck dirty, all while getting paid.

 

Want do you want to do with the Geology degree? Do you want to go into exploration? Do you want to ultimately become a Geophysicist? Do you want to teach?

Lots of directions you can go with this. You can always start as a Geo Tech, then work towards becoming a Geologist for an operator.

 

Glad to see I'm in good company. I'm finishing up my BS in Geology this year and just got back from a 3 month internship working as a Wellsite Geologist/Mudlogger.

My experience consisted of living in a trailer on site for 2-6 weeks at a time, working primarily as a mudlogger but also making decisions on TD's (total depths), logging intervals, etc. On the wellsite it's constant noise, dirty, and sometimes dangerous. You'll likely be the only one on site with a college degree but most roughnecks are hardworking, salt of earth good people. I can tell you I loved my time there so much I wouldn't want to leave when we'd finish a well.

Hands down the most lucrative niche of geology is Oil and Gas. Take the salary of a geologist working for an engineering/consulting firm for 5 years, and compare it to that of the same geo working in O&G; the O&G salary will be double, literally.

Disclaimer: If your here for the money, leave now. You're about to spend 4 years in school and the next 40 of your life talking about rocks, dirt, and the like. If you don't have a sincere interest in geology you'll absolutely hate it. You'll find out if it's for you once mid-level geo classes get rolling.

This post is getting too long so let me know if you want more info about mud logging or what I know about O&G. I'd be more than happy to tell you some about it.

 

i'm a civil E.

i work with a bunch of geologist. happiest group of folks ever. they love their jobs, and have a tight knit group.

i work for a state transportation dept, and so do they. as we run out of real estate, transportation is starting to head underground. tunnels.

we just finished two major projects and currently there is a big mofo project going under san fransisco. i met all these people on my tunnel project. you wont get rich in a public trans agency, but the work is cool, exciting, and really innovating. dont discount tranportation agencies.

congrats to having a plan. that was half the battle.

 

I've got a friend who worked in Cali for years doing something similar to what aficiando mentioned. He enjoyed the work, but it's hard to live in any metropolitan area in California on 40-50k a year.

Aficiando, do the guys you work with have MS degrees? From what I've heard in that industry a geo BS is enough to get you in.

 

i'd imagine energy exploration would be a good bet, ...not sure how much is going on in those western states you mentioned though... sounds like it could be a pretty interesting career...

 

Mud logging you don't need a MS. Only if you want to work in the exploration/interpretation side. Though that is information I received ~5 years ago. I have a few friends working the rigs with just a BS.

Right now in NV there is a big push into fracking and oil exploration. Not re about other SW states though but I would guess the same.

 

Yeah, a BS is still all that's necessary for mud logging. I've got a job offer on the table to do so right after graduation. The pay is great, but if you're working for a 3rd party mud logging company there's not much room for career growth.

Beyer, you mentioned you work in the mining industry, do you have a MS if you don't mind me asking?

 

I do not. From what I have seen and experienced you don't need a MS to advance, just good work ethic. Though if you do have a MS you will generally have a higher starting salary over a BS.

 

I can ask. Okay. No MS needed but it helps. Half of the guys have one. Pay is better than you'd expect.

 

Thanks, aficiando.

I guess the MS can't hurt. With the sciences, any graduate school that wants you is going to pay your tuition and give you some sort of stipend as you'll be a teaching and research assistant. A more advanced degree for no additional money/debt; not a bad deal.

Only trade-off is that's an extra 2 years you could be potentially working, making real money, and getting real experience.