The median annual wage of geoscientists was $82,500 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,820, and the top 10 percent more than $160,910.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of geoscientists in May 2010 were as follows:
| Oil and gas extraction | $125,350 |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 93,300 |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 68,790 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 67,840 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 59,820 |
Most geoscientists work full time and may work long or irregular hours when doing fieldwork. Geoscientists travel frequently to meet with clients and to conduct fieldwork.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition