Geophysics Salaries
As a subject, the Earth would seem rather large. Geophysicists seek to understand certain aspects that constitute the planet and how it functions. They may study the Earth's atmosphere, its tides and rotation, earthquakes and other geological phenomenons, or the planet's magnetic field. Geophysicists typically conduct field and laboratory research. Salary levels for the profession are comparable with other geoscientists, such as paleontologists and seismologists.
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Average Salary
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes geophysicists alongside other geoscientists, excluding geographers and hydrologists. The mean annual salary across the profession was $93,380 per year as of 2010, which translates into an hourly pay rate of $44.89. Those within the bottom 10 percent of earners received wages of less than $43,820 a year, while their colleagues in the corresponding top bracket earned more than $160,910 per annum.
Salary by Industry
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According tot he BLA, the highest wages for geoscientists, such as geophysicists, were in oil and gas extraction. The mean salary in this sector of the industry was listed as $132,210 per year. Petroleum and coal products manufacturing had a mean of $118,910, while positions within support activities for mining paid a mean of $106,380 per annum. Geophysicists working in architectural, engineering and related services were paid a mean salary of $80,460, less than those employed by the federal executive branch, which had a mean of $95,580.
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Salary by Location
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Oklahoma and Texas were reported by the BLS to be the states in which a geoscientist was likely to earn the best wages, with annual means of $129,870 and $125,070, respectively. Massachusetts and District of Columbia had similar pay rates, $102,060 and $101,110, while Pennsylvania and Wyoming were listed among the lowest-paying states, with means of just $67,860 and $67,710, respectively.
Outlook
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The BLS expects to see the employment market for geoscientists, including geophysicists, grow by approximately 18 percent from 2008 to 2018. This compares well with a projection of between 7 and 13 percent for the country as a whole over all occupations. Continued exploration for gas and oil, in combination with environmental protection, will be key factors in this job growth, and should mean that salary levels for geophysicists remain very competitive.
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