Earth Sciences Jobs

An environmental geologist tests the soil and rock to determine the environmental impact of large projects.

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There are a wide range of career options available to people with graduate degrees in earth science. Those options include working in the military or in the hydrocarbon, mining and civil engineering industries. Other jobs can be found in teaching, natural resources, financial and IT.

Climatologist

Climatology focuses on broad trends in both small areas and broader climatic regions. This can involve running climate models and projections or researching present and past climate trends. In the United States, state climatologists focus on their home state and apply climatology on a local level. On a global level, the climatologist can predict the impacts of changing weather patterns and changes to food production, endangered species, air pollution, energy use and even life expectancy. About 34 percent of atmospheric scientists work for the federal government. The state where the most climatologists work is Colorado, home of the National Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. According to Climatepedia, the median average annual wage for a climatologist is $81, 290.

Environmental Geologist

Environmental geologists may have specialties, such as earthquakes, erosion, landfills, managing mineral resources and watershed management. They also focus on combatting the negative effects of industrial and urban expansion. An environmental geologist may be responsible for studying the rock and soil along a proposed pipeline route, studying the density, composition and how quickly water moves through the soil and rock around the pipeline. The BLS May 2012 wage estimate lists environmental scientists as making an annual salary of $80, 040.