r/geologycareers

I am happy to announce I am done with consulting and the geosciences, indefinitely. I've wasted many years of my life in this field and I'm never coming back. I have no idea what else I'm going to do but it's not going to be this. I would rather beg for change at an exit ramp.

I have seen a lot of people venting about the same things over and over in this sub, and there's always a comment that reads "It just depends on the company/office/manager whether it's good or bad" but really, it's all entirely abusive. Every company, every office, every manager. I've worked in every size company a consulting firm can come in, doing several geoscience-related things. Don't you think it's a bit odd that everyone complains about the same exact things on here? There's far and away more bad situations than good in this field. As a side note: I have no idea how this would be implemented, but geologists desperately need a union.

If you're about to graduate high school, or looking for a career change, and thinking of being a geologist then my answer to you is: Don't. The main hirer of geologists who pays somewhat of a livable wage is in consulting and that's also where Satan currently lives. I'm almost positive there's going to be that one guy who insists that their mining or govt job pays well, but they'll neglect to mention all the extra certs, luck, programming knowledge, and connections in the industry they have that got them there. You'll very likely not qualify for those jobs, and consulting is always hiring (don't believe me? Look up your nearest major city on linkedin or indeed and search for any geoscience related jobs. Guarantee you'll come up with maybe 5 to 8 field positions at a consulting firm at any given moment. That's because of the horrible turnover)
Get an Engineering degree instead. Suck at math? Join the club and grind it out. You won't have to do the long form maths after you graduate, the computer programs will do it for you. Just learn it enough to pass the class and move on. You wont have anywhere near as much fun as getting a geology degree, but you can get the exact same jobs geologists have and you'll make more money, be considered for promotion over the other geologists, and be doted on by all the other senior engineers who take up all the other positions in the company (besides field staff, because that's where the geologists are.)
Take the engineering degree and go do something completely different later on when you realize how much it fucking sucks dick.

Do you want to ignore my advice and continue with your optimism? Is geology your ~tRuE lOvE~? Well then don't work in it and just have it as a hobby. 90% or more of your time will be spent doing anything but geology. You'll be a slightly glorified construction worker doing nothing but various flavors of grunt labor at the crack of dawn in hell or high water (literally). If you're a smart cookie and can make it past that, then you'll be stuck doing the most boring reports and data processing. Forever.
If you're someone who doesn't have friends or family or any loved ones, doesn't mind living out of hotels, owns no pets outside of certain species of reptile or anything with a slow metabolism, is smart enough to do dense reporting and data processing but stupid enough not to realize how bad you're getting fucked, and can survive extreme temperatures and weather, and enjoy being a cucked company man, then buddy, this is the career path for you.
(Also, you'll need to consider just how much your day to day is spent trapped in a truck, sitting in traffic, or else driving to the middle of nowhere. If you live near a city notorious for it's terrible traffic, then go ahead and add the suicide hotline number to your contacts.)

I'm not completely out of touch, I can admit maybe I'm just straight up not a fit, but I don't know anyone else who got a college degree so they could work around the clock like a slave.

Hi all, I’m posting this here because when I first got my job I honestly was scrolling through countless subreddits to figure out what to pack/what to get/etc. So here’s my master list! A lot of this came from so many other people but also what I have found works best for me!

My claim is I’m a state regulator turned field hydrogeologist. I am in the field 80% of the time, and one of the few women in my office, so I’ve had to find ways to ensure my own safety, cleanliness and other things because even though we have an HSE, anything can happen. My partner and I are also very cost-conscious, so every purchase I’ve tried to find multiple uses for, so since I’m also a camper and climber a lot of this is easy to transfer over to!

Here’s my packing list, broken down! I keep all of this written down in a geologist book that I carry around in the field so it’s easy for me to check off!

Bags

- My clothing bag is a 90L cotopaxi bag

- Work bag is a free bag to hold all field equipment, and then a cotopaxi 26L bag for hotel necessities/kindle/etc

Go-To foods, other than random meals/snacks/meal prep

- Cheese sticks

- Protein drinks

- Gatorade/Water (this is reimbursable by my employer so I buy from Costco)

- Almonds/Trailmix

- Jerky

Clothes

- Women’s hiking pants (Holds grease, so be mindful when you wear these)

- Fisherman’s shirts, typically mens are comfier but find ones that don’t cause issues for you during those 12+ hour shifts

- Duluth pants (these don’t ride up, comfortable for squatting to get readings, and don’t hold on to grease)

- Hi-vis shirts (If you’re in a heavy bee season like Arizona is, probably best to avoid and just wear a vest when needed but if it’s pretty neutral these are less overwhelming to wear then vests, and you can set them and forget them)

- Face gators (protect your face, get lighter ones for warn season and heavier for cold season)

- Bandanas (I use these for my hair to avoid hard hat smell and sweat)

Personal Hygiene/Cleanliness

- She-Wee + Kula Cloth (A lot of my current jobs have no outhouse, these are portable and easy to clean in hotel rooms/camper vans)

- Toilet paper (just bring it)

- Swedish dishcloths (super universal and reusable)

- Castile 12-in-1 soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s, self explanatory, also bring some vinegar in case you need to dilute for cleaning purposes)

- Travel-size K18 dry shampoo

- Silicone travel containers to fill with my own products

- Face and Body sunscreen

- Scrubba bag (Easy so on my 10 day hitches I can wash a few clothes and let them dry in my hotel bathroom while at the jobsite, also there’s almost never a laundry allowance so it’s just easier financially if you’re trying to get the most out of your work time)

- Soak detergent (This is a handwashing detergent, also smells soooo good)

- Paper/compostable hand soap

- Mouth wash and toothpaste tablets (easier to travel with, smaller and more compact with multiple uses)

Safety

- Portable door lock (I had one instance where the fire safety door that connects two rooms didn’t have a lock, luckily nothing happened but the sheer fact that something could’ve prompted me to get it)

- Pepper spray

- Bear spray

- Travel knife

I’d love to hear also what everyone else’s go-tos are. Being in this community has been so rewarding and has made me think of things I never even thought of!

Stay safe out there everyone!

Aight so I kept applying to “office-based” geo/hydro/PM-ish roles and getting nothing back. Then i reread my own resume and realized it basically said: field tech who survives long days. Which is true, but it’s not what those roles screen for.

The change for me wasn’t adding new experience, it was changing the nouns/verbs:

Old bullets i had (trash):

- Collected soil/groundwater samples

- Logged boreholes

- Wrote reports

What i rewrote them into (still true, just readable to non-field hiring people):

- Executed sampling programs under state/federal guidance, maintained chain-of-custody, and resolved field deviations with PM/client same-day

- Produced borehole logs and deliverables used in geotech/enviro recommendations (standardized descriptions + consistent depth/elevation references)

- Authored sections of technical reports (methods/results/QC) and supported regulator/client responses by tracking comments and revisions

The dumb little trick that finally made it click was matching to the job post like it’s a glossary:

- If they say “project scheduling,” my bullet better mention scheduling (even if it’s just coordinating drilling days + lab TAT)

- If they say “budget,” i mention hours, change orders, or subcontractor quotes (whatever i actually touched)

- If they say “client communication,” i mention daily field updates or call notes, not “worked with a team”

When i was doing this i had the job ad, LinkedIn, and Resumeworded open in three tabs and just copied the exact nouns they kept repeating.

Question for people who’ve made the same move: what job titles were the cleanest “less travel, more brain” step without needing a whole new degree? (geologist II in compliance? assistant PM? hydro modeler? GIS-heavy roles?)

Also if you’ve got a good before/after bullet for turning pure field work into something that reads more office/PM, i’d love to see it.

I graduated about a year ago now with my degree and got a job doing drilling inspection. While I do genuinely enjoy the work, I have been out of town most of the time. AKA staying in a hotel Monday-Friday and only being home on the weekends.

Its been a struggle on my personal life and my relationships to constantly be out of town like this and I just don't know what to do.

I live in South Eastern Pennsylvania and while positions aren't awful, its mostly water quality work (which I'm not interested in) and I'm not ready to move yet.

I enjoy the field work, the position has good pay and amazing benefits but If I'm never home what does that matter?

I recently got hired for my first geology job after graduation as a core logger in NWT Canada. Is there any advice/tips some of you more experienced core loggers would give a newbie like me? It's a fly in fly out role starting mid May, so I want to be prepared. I'm just a bit nervous since its my first time doing this, other than a very short and simple core in university. My company said they'd probably start me off with geoteching though. Anything I ought to know?

I don’t think ours are secure as they could be. We just flatten the stamp and signatures in the pdf.

Hi! I’m an undergraduate student currently in an environmental sciences degree, specializing in ecology (2nd year). I switched to ecology from a geoscience specialization and I’m rlly conflicted on what I want to do. Im rlly interested in Earth systems science, which is what got me interested in env sci, but I’ve been starting to find microbiology very interesting as-well. I know there is geo microbiology as a field which has started to pique my interest. I don’t want to switch again cause that would cause a delay as I’m already in a 5 year program but am thinking of doing a minor.

I know GIS is a heavy asset in the earth and env sci industry, especially if you are interested in field work. My uni offers a GIS speciality minor, however I just long to learn more earth science aswell. Does anyone have any insight on how helpful a GIS diploma might be or how I might be limiting my options either way? Could an ecologist do a geology masters? Im thankful for any advice!!

Just wondering this after a convo with a buddy at the site. I’ve spent time helping on a mine drilling rig doing core drilling, lots of rod handling, pulling, setting up on angles, all that. It’s tiring, but you kind of get used to the rhythm after a while. Then I see videos from oil rigs, and it looks intense too, but they’ve got way more hydraulic support and bigger systems doing most of the heavy lifting. Makes me wonder if it’s more about pressure and risk than raw physical effort. With my drilling rigs, it still feels very hands-on, especially when things jam or you’re working in tight spots. I’ve even seen people discuss rig setups and parts from different manufacturers, including ones linked back to online suppliers, and it seems like designs vary a lot depending on the job. If you’ve done both or switched over, which one felt tougher day to day? I’m trying to figure out if I should stay where I am or try something new.

I've recently started as an exploration geologist. Worked 2 months for REE and currently working on graphite and vanadium since last month. But the company I'm working for pays criminally low and the work load is just too much. I love field work don't get me wrong. But its just too hectic. I'm expected visit field 6 days a week and spend like 6 hours at least and then get back to a bunch of filings and have to do all the paperwork (like reports and such) which has to be very very detailed and takes like 2 hours at least.

So my questions are-

1. Are field geologists expected to do this much. Specially now that I'm in the hilly terrain where traverses are very difficult.

2. As an entry level geologist i understand the pay but I'm not getting trained either. Is everything expected to be done by you so early in the job?

3. Will the situation get better with seniority?

P.S: I (25M) have M.S in geology. And yes I started my career a bit late. Sorry this kinda turned into a rant.

Edit: I'm working in india and getting $3k/year and just passable food, accommodation and travel. And on average work 8 hours in field plus endless paperwork (i do 2 hours of that and bench rest for the weekend sadly)

Spent my first few years in exploration thinking I just needed to "toughen up" about field camps and that I’d eventually love the lifestyle. Spoiler: I didn't. I loved the actual geology (mapping and drilling programs were great) but being the only woman on site half the time and dealing with the constant "banter" and gossip bubble slowly fried me. I kept thinking that if I couldn't handle the camp culture, maybe I just didn't belong in geology at all.

What finally helped was realized I didn't hate the science; I just hated the specific social setup of exploration camps. I started tracking my days and realized that carrying gear and hiking in crappy weather was fine, but the constant "social performance" of being "on" all the time was what wrecked me.

At one point, I was so stuck that I had a notebook full of rants sitting next to a Coached career test report I’d run. Helped me see on paper that my need for autonomy and a stable "home base" wasn't a "moral weakness" or me being soft. It was just how I’m wired to work best. It gave me the data I needed to stop feeling guilty about wanting out of the 24/7 camp cycle.

I eventually switched into a role with shorter trips where I'm rarely the only woman and there’s an actual HR presence. My Sunday dread dropped by like 80% almost immediately. If you’re in that "I love the rocks but the lifestyle is killing me" space, you aren't alone, and it doesn't mean you picked the wrong degree.

Curious if anyone else here has switched sectors or found a niche that doesn't involve the typical camp burnout? What worked for you?

I'm wondering how it went for people that left the geology world and found jobs in other non related fields. I feel extremely burnt out from geology and environmental work. I generally daydream of taking a job as bartender or ski shop person or something along those lines.

deciding between what undergrad to go into. wondering what types of jobs each leads to and what I could be looking at making and doing. important point is that I’m in Canada, so there are plenty of jobs in each (to my knowledge)

probably a dumb post on my part, but I recently got a job offer with my state’s DOT working as a concrete/soils lab tech. It’s not the most geology centric role out there, but hey, it’s my first full time salaried offer!

I’m about to graduate with my bachelors, and my college’s reported average starting salary is 67K. This role offered me 52K. Even seeing this sub’s salaries out of a B.S. program, I’m worried I’m going to be miserable. I’m in a fairly high COL area. The position goes up to 72K, but I don’t know how many years of promotions that will be, and I’m hoping to go to grad school full-time in a year or two.

At the same time, although I applied to other positions, I’m just happy to get a job in this market. But I still can’t help but feel a little take advantage of. Also the job asked for an associates, so I feel a little insecure. At the same time, I am also terrified bc I feel like I know nothing lol since it’s technically in CivE ig…

Okay to clarify since maybe it didn’t seem obvious, I’m about to graduate with my B.S. and I have two years of internship experience in hydrology.

I have an opportunity to head to the western US for a mining contract. It pays great (about a $3k/month raise, $5k if you count per diem) but I would have to leave my cushy consulting job here in the east coast. I’m only a few years out of school. Current company gives me a good opportunity for progression, OK-ish pay, and a great work life balance.

It would be a huge transition and honestly I’m scared to death to leave my job and leave everybody I know at home. I’ve been weighing cost vs benefits, and the pay is great but I’m still not sure if it’s worth sacrificing the good thing I’ve got going. Has anybody here been in a similar situation?

Thanks

Hi, I’m a student currently perusing a BSc. in Geological science. I’ve been trying to get summer jobs for a while now but didn’t have any luck. I’ll literally take any geo job bc I just want experience and to know what fields I might like. Is it too late to find anything, I feel like postings have kinda stopped?

Full Time Opening for Senior Geologist, Maine Geological Survey

https://maine.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Executive/details/Senior-Geologist_R26-01569

Opening Date: April 13, 2026

Closing Date: End of day May 08, 2026

Location: Augusta

Position Number: 01730-0311

Position Type: Permanent Full Time

Class Code: 0056

Grade: 26 (Professional/Technical Unit)

Salary: $56,264.00 - $78,998.40 Per Year

Hi folks, I've been having a tough time deciding between two opportunities that both look really cool, and wanted to get some input. Context: I'm a junior studying physics, and I'm doing a minor in geology. It's my dream to work outdoors doing geoscience. I'm not sure what I want to go into, but I'm interested in hydrology, climate physics, and oceanography.

Now, recently, I was offered an REU position doing geophysics near the east coast area. It's pretty interesting, but it happens to be indoors work. It's machine learning and statistics, which I do like, but like I said, I really want to get a balance of indoors/outdoors. It's not the sort of research that I think I will end up doing, but I've never done research so it will be useful to gain some lab skills that I might use doing something a little more hands on.

This brings me to the other potential opportunity, which is the USGS internship doing water science. It's in a city near where my family lives, which is a huge plus for me, as I'd love to spend the summer with them. It looks like it involves lots of stream testing, some traveling around the state, and hydrogeology, and they mentioned that it will involve a lot of outdoors work. I have to say that the outdoors stuff interests me more, but the only drawback is that it probably won't be as good for grad schools. Oh and, the REU pays better than the USGS, but that's not a huge concern.

I guess I'm just having a hard time deciding and wanted to get some outside opinions. Has anyone here done a USGS water science internship, and what is it like?

Can anyone explain what it is like to work as a geospatial engineer and create geologic maps. Also, if anyone is part of 12Y (Geospatial Engineer) for the army can you tell me what that is like. Can you also say what you studied in college and your education/training to get a job as one. Being a Geospatial Engineer for the army is my dream job.

I’ve interviewed before with MDE and I got thrown a few curveballs and didn’t get the job. This time I’m interviewing for a Geologist I position. If anyone has any tips to prepare I’d greatly appreciate it!!