Need a job? Wondering what types of jobs geologists have? Geologists can have a very wide range of jobs so below I will highlight a few of major markets geologists occupy and contribute to.
Environmental fields -- Geologists can hold a wide range of jobs in the environmental field. Examples can include hydrogeology, waste contamination, identifying and minimizing nautral disasters, etc. Hydrologist study and analyzes groundwater for human use. Waste contamination is using technology and knowledge of geology to clean up toxic chemicals and waste that are potentially harmful to humans and the environment. Geologists can study and predict where natural disasters can strike and help prepare for them or possibly control them. An example would be flood plain control. Many, many more fields in the environmental area.
Mining -- Many of our resources aren't grown--they're mined. Gold, silver, copper, platinum, tungsten, and many others are mined and exracted from parent rocks. Geologists use their knowledge of the subsurface to predict where likely ore deposits are. For example, gold is common in hydrothermal veins. Knowing where these veins is important knowledge, especially with the current prices of gold and platinum.
Education -- One option is to continue on toward a Ph.D and teach at a college or university. Without professors teaching future geologists, our society would be in huge trouble. Full time researchers can advance our knowledge of the Earth. Some geologists can work in museums or national parks where they can teach the public about geology and science in general. You cannot underestimate this job--the more the public learns about geology, the more they appreciate our environment and balance out the propaganda that is spread by certain groups or sections of our population!
Government agencies -- Government agencies such as the USGS or EPA are popular (and lucrative) jobs. Amongst their responsibilites are field mapping and keeping maps and databases up-to-date, and managing resources, environment studies, and so on. Other government agencies are the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Parks, state geologic surveys, and Bureau of Land Managment.
Consulting -- Many geologists start their own private firms and use their expertise to solve problems. Many consultants are in the environmental field, but other specialties do exist. Consulting is a fast track to major money.
Oil and Gas -- Yeah, can't forget about the number one employer of geologists! Even though the oil and gas companies have a pretty negative opinion in the public's mind, they are important nonetheless. Without geologists locating and extracting oil, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Geologists help predict where fossil fuels may be present, so this is a far better way than random drilling. Our society is totally dependent on oil and gas that oil companies, so these companies always looking to hire geologists.
These are a few of the jobs that geologists can have. Others that you may not have initally have thought of include business, financial, and insurance industries. Geologists usually have a well-rounded background of many fields besides the sciences, so employers are hiring many geologists. The lesson is, geologists are employed just about everywhere!
