+5%Growth 2024–34
7Traits it runs on
Environmental & Earth ScienceFamily
What the work is worth. Earthquake risk, landslide warnings, clean groundwater, and the minerals in every battery are geoscience. This is the science of the ground beneath a community.
An ordinary day. Study the Earth's structure and history from rock, water, and seismic data; work in the field and the lab; assess resources, hazards, and groundwater.
The path in. Bachelor's in geology or geoscience; master's common; licensure in some states.
From zero. The STEM Farm Energy / Utilities / Environmental Technology track starts at zero-STEM intake and ends in this kind of work, with verified proof at every gate.
Take the STEM Compass assessmentZero to Geoscientist →
The personality behind the work
- Spatial Reasoning. You picture three-dimensional objects, measurements, and physical forces easily.
- Inquiry. You ask deep questions about how the natural world works and you keep asking.
- Patience. You accept that real proof takes months or years of testing, and you can wait for it.
- Practicality. You are drawn to building functional things — physical or digital — that work in the real world.
- Meticulousness. You record exact notes and follow strict procedures without being told to.
- Numbers & Data Affinity. You like living in numbers, tables, and measurements; quantitative work feels natural.
- Adaptability. New tools, new languages, new rules do not throw you. You expect the ground to move and you enjoy relearning.
The assessment scores each of these traits from 0 to 100 and reports where this role would stretch you as well as where you already meet it.
Other careers in Environmental & Earth Science
Atmospheric Scientist & Meteorologist+1%Environmental Scientist+4%Agricultural & Food Scientist+6%Zoologist & Wildlife Biologist+2%
Geoscientist by labor market
Every commuting zone in the country, biggest first. Each page carries that market's real economy and the counties inside it.
Newark, NJNew York, NYLos Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CAChicago, ILDallas, TXFort Worth, TXHouston, TXAtlanta, GAWashington, DCMiami, FLPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZBoston, MA–NHSan Francisco–Oakland, CADetroit, MISeattle–Tacoma, WAMinneapolis, MNTampa–St. Petersburg, FLSan Diego, CADenver–Aurora, COOrlando, FLCharlotte, NC–SCBaltimore, MDSt. Louis, MOSan Antonio, TXAustin, TXPortland, OR–WASacramento, CAPittsburgh, PALas Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NVCincinnati, OH–KYKansas City, MO–KSColumbus, OHIndianapolis, INNashville-Davidson, TNMurfreesboro, TNCleveland, OHSan Jose, CAVirginia Beach, VANewport News, VAJacksonville, FLProvidence, RI–MARaleigh, NCMilwaukee, WIOklahoma City, OKLouisville/Jefferson County, KY–INRichmond, VAMemphis, TN–MS–ARSalt Lake City, UTFresno, CABirmingham, ALGrand Rapids, MIHartford, CTBuffalo, NYTucson, AZTulsa, OKRochester, NYGreenville, SCOmaha, NE–IANew Orleans, LAKnoxville, TNBradenton–Sarasota–Venice, FLBakersfield, CAAlbuquerque, NMMcAllen, TXAlbany–Schenectady, NYCharleston, SCBaton Rouge, LAAllentown–Bethlehem, PA–NJEl Paso, TX–NMColumbia, SCCape Coral, FLLakeland, FLBoise City, IDDayton, OHStockton, CAColorado Springs, COLittle Rock, ARDes Moines, IADaytona Beach–Palm Coast–Port Orange, FLWinston-Salem, NCMadison, WIWichita, KSSyracuse, NYAugusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GAFayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR–MOHarrisburg, PAJackson, MSSpokane, WAToledo, OH–MIChattanooga, TN–GAReno, NV–CAPortland, MEScranton, PAPort St. Lucie, FLHuntsville, ALPensacola, FL–ALLexington-Fayette, KYKilleen, TXSpringfield, MOWilmington, NCLansing, MIFort Wayne, INSpringfield, MA–CTSanta Barbara, CASavannah, GABrownsville, TXNashua, NH–MAGulfport–Biloxi, MSMyrtle Beach–North Myrtle Beach, SC–NCLafayette, LAYoungstown, OHAsheville, NCMobile, ALSpartanburg, SCAnchorage, AKCanton, OHTrenton, NJTallahassee, FLFayetteville, NCMontgomery, ALShreveport, LAEugene, ORDavenport, IA–ILFort Collins, COHickory, NCLubbock, TXHuntington, WV–KY–OHPeoria, ILGainesville, FLLincoln, NEClarksville, TN–KYRockford, ILGreen Bay, WIColumbus, GA–ALSouth Bend, IN–MIKennewick–Richland–Pasco, WARoanoke, VASioux Falls, SDLongview, TXCollege Station–Bryan, TXTuscaloosa, ALDuluth, MN–WICedar Rapids, IAAmarillo, TXEvansville, INFargo, ND–MNLynchburg, VABend, ORErie, PAKalamazoo, MIYakima, WAPrescott–Prescott Valley, AZTyler, TXAppleton, WILake Charles, LABinghamton, NYChampaign, ILFort Smith, AR–OKTopeka, KSRochester, MNPanama City–Panama City Beach, FLCharlottesville, VALafayette, INBurlington, VTGainesville, GAYuma, AZ–CAAthens-Clarke County, GAMonroe, LAMedford, ORColumbia, MOJacksonville, NCJohnson City, TNSt. George, UTJoplin, MOWarner Robins, GASpringfield, ILSt. Cloud, MNCharleston, WVHouma, LABowling Green, KYDover, DEBillings, MTCoeur d'Alene, IDSaginaw, MIBurlington, NCAbilene, TXJackson, TNGreenville, NCRedding, CAEau Claire, WIIdaho Falls, IDOdessa, TXLa Crosse, WI–MNTerre Haute, INWaterloo, IABloomington, INGrand Junction, COLogan, UTKahului–Wailuku, HIJackson, MIHattiesburg, MSBangor, MEState College, PATraverse City–Garfield, MIRapid City, SDDothan, ALValdosta, GAWichita Falls, TXRocky Mount, NCAlexandria, LADalton, GATexarkana, TX–ARSioux City, IA–NE–SDAlbany, GAMorgantown, WVHarrisonburg, VABismarck, NDJonesboro, ARWausau, WIManhattan, KSMorristown, TNBozeman, MTMissoula, MTElizabethtown–Radcliff, KYWenatchee, WAPittsfield, MAAmes, IAMansfield, OHTwin Falls, IDSan Angelo, TXFarmington, NMAltoona, PASt. Joseph, MO–KSBrunswick–St. Simons, GASheboygan, WIAnniston–Oxford, ALOwensboro, KYMuncie, INSandusky–Port Clinton, OHWilliamsport, PASteubenville–Weirton, OH–WV–PAWatertown, NYBeckley, WVKankakee, ILGrand Forks, ND–MNMankato, MNGadsden, ALCheyenne, WYPaducah, KY–ILLima, OHVictoria, TXHot Springs, ARDubuque, IA–ILDecatur, ILCape Girardeau, MO–ILFairbanks, AKPocatello, IDParkersburg, WV–OHColumbus, INGreat Falls, MTCasper, WYElmira, NYGrand Island, NEMinot, NDLewiston, ID–WAEnid, OKEagle Pass, TXTupelo, MSKearney, NEArdmore, OKCookeville, TNLebanon, NH–VTLeesburg, VAMarion–Herrin, ILMason City, IAOttumwa, IAWillmar, MNClovis, NMMeridian, MSMilledgeville, GAPikeville, KYPine Bluff, ARRichmond, KYRoanoke Rapids, NCAlexandria, MNBardstown, KYCreston, IADublin, GAFarmville, VAGranite City, ILHazard, KYHelena-West Helena, ARHenderson, KYHilton Head Island, SCMarion, VAMcComb, MSMount Sterling, KYQuincy, ILSnyder, TXStarkville, MSTifton, GAYonkers, NYAlamosa, COBartlesville, OKBrainerd, MNBrookings, SDBrownwood, TXBurlington, IA–ILColumbia, TNCumberland, MD–WV–PADickinson, NDElko, NVFarmington, MOFredericksburg, VAGarden City, KSGreendale–Lawrenceburg–Hidden Valley, IN–OHGreenville, MSGreenville, TXHays, KSHoughton Lake, MIKirksville, MOLake City, FLLas Vegas, NMMilbank, SDMitchell, SDNorfolk, NENorth Platte, NEOxford, MSRice Lake, WISafford, AZSedalia, MOTallulah, LAWaynesville, NCWest Plains, MOAberdeen, SDAlliance, NEAmericus, GABatesville, ARBluefield, WV–VABradford, PA–NYCadillac, MICentralia, ILChamberlain, SDColumbus, NEDe Queen, ARDodge City, KSDouglas, GADumas, TXEdwards–Avon, COEvanston, WYFindlay, OHFort Leonard Wood–St. Robert–Waynesville, MOGermantown, MDGraham, TXHammond, INHastings, NEHutchinson, KSMarinette–Menominee, WI–MIMaysville, KY–OHMcCook, NENatchez, MS–LAO'Neill, NEOlney, ILOrd, NEPlainview, TXPortsmouth, OH–KYSomerset, KYStorm Lake, IAWarrenton–New Baltimore, VAWashington, NCWilliston, NDWorthington, MNYankton, SDAlice, TXAlpena, MIAltus, OKAndalusia, ALAndrews, NCAthens, OHBeloit, KSBoone, NCBowman, NDBroken Bow, NECarrington, NDChillicothe, MOColby, KSConcordia, KSDanville, KYDenison, IAEl Dorado, ARElkins, WVEmporia, KSFalls City, NEFort Dodge, IAGallup, NMGlasgow, KYGrafton, NDGreenwood, MSGuymon, OKHarrisburg, ILJamestown, NDLamar, COLiberal, KSLisbon, NDLufkin, TXMarquette, MIMcAlester, OKMexia, TXMiami, OKMoberly, MOMobridge, SDMuskogee, OKNacogdoches, TXNebraska City, NEOsceola, IAOtsego, MNPampa, TXParsons, KSPierre, SDPlatteville, WIPlattsburgh, NYPoplar Bluff, MOPratt, KSRichfield, UTSalina, KSScott City, KSSidney, NESioux Center, IASpirit Lake, IASterling, COTappahannock, VAThe Dalles, ORTrenton, MOValentine, NEWeatherford, OKWise–Norton, VAWoodstock, GAWoodward, OKAberdeen, WAAlpine, TXAshland, WIBlytheville, ARBrady, TXChildress, TXColstrip, MTCovington, VADecorah, IADevils Lake, NDDyersburg, TNGillette, WYGlasgow, MTGonzales, TXGreat Bend, KSGreensburg, INHamilton, ALHarrison, ARHeber Springs, ARHobbs, NMHoughton–Hancock, MIHugoton, KSIowa Falls, IAIronwood, MI–WIJackson, WYKalispell, MTKenai, AKKerrville, TXKlamath Falls–Altamont, ORLaramie, WYLexington, VALogansport, INMartinsville, VAMaryville, MOMiddlesborough, KY–TNMiles City, MTMountain Home, ARNorton, KSParis, TNParkston, SDPetoskey, MIRhinelander, WIRichmond, IN–OHRiverton, WYRugby, NDRussellville, ARSault Ste. Marie, MISearcy, ARShelby, MTSheridan, WYSteamboat Springs, COStillwater, OKSusanville, CASweetwater, TXUvalde, TXVernal, UTVernon, TXVillage of Four Seasons, MOVincennes, INWashington Court House, OHAlamogordo, NMAtwood, KSBaker, MTBurley, IDBurlington, COChincoteague, VACody, WYCondon, ORCrescent City, CACrossville, TNGoodland, KSGunnison, COJuneau, AKKeene, NHLa Grande, ORLewistown, MTLivingston, MTLudington, MIMagnolia, ARMcCall, IDMoab, UTMoses Lake, WANevada, MONewport, ORNorth Eagle Butte, SDPhilip, SDPlentywood, MTPrice, UTRock Springs, WYRoseau, MNRoseburg, ORRoswell, NMSalmon, IDSeminole, TXSequim, WASummersville, WVToms River, NJTorrington, WYTrinidad, COUkiah, CAValley City, NDWinner, SDAkutan, AKBethel, AKBuffalo, SDBurns, ORChester, MTDelta, UTDillingham, AKDillon, MTEastpoint, FLEnterprise, OREureka, CAFort Stockton, TXFriday Harbor, WAGrand Marais, MNHaines, AKHarlan, KYHilo, HIHonolulu, HIHooper Bay, AKHyannis, NEInternational Falls, MNJohn Day, ORJordan, MTKapaa, HIKetchikan, AKKodiak–Mill Bay, AKKotzebue, AKLakeview, ORMalta, MTMatador, TXMetlakatla, AKNantucket, MANome, AKPetersburg, AKPresque Isle, MESalida, COSanderson, TXSitka, AKSkagway, AKTaos, NMThompson Falls, MTUnalaska, AKUtqiaġvik, AKVineyard Haven–Edgartown–Oak Bluffs, MAWinnett, MTWrangell city and, AKZapata–Medina, TX
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Questions people ask
What traits does a geoscientist need?
Spatial reasoning, inquiry, patience, practicality, meticulousness, numbers & data affinity and adaptability. STEM Compass scores each of them and shows your gap or margin on every one.
How fast is geoscientist employment growing?
+5% between 2024 and 2034 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.
How do I start from zero?
The STEM Farm Energy / Utilities / Environmental Technology track begins at zero-STEM intake — no degree, no experience assumed — and ends in this kind of work with verified proof at every gate.
Sources. Career traits, education paths and value lines are the STEM Compass assessment library. Employment growth is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. County economic types are USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes (2025); labor markets are Census commuting zones (2020). Salary is not shown anywhere in this campaign on purpose: the assessment measures fit and what the work is worth to the world.