How much does a geoscience professor make?
Answer: A typical geoscience professor in the United States makes $103,170 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 10,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Geoscience professor pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $59,700 | $103,170 | $203,190 | about 10,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $133,230 | about 1,000 |
| Texas | $105,080 | about 690 |
| New York | $87,350 | about 2,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can rise with experience and greater responsibility, and differs by college type and location. Work hours matter too: some professors work full time, while others teach part time, and research duties can differ.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a geoscience professor do?
Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What's a typical day like?
A geoscience professor may explain rocks, oceans, or weather in a lecture, then answer questions and grade assignments. In a lab or outdoors, they might guide students’ fieldwork, study data, and write up new research.
How to get this job
In the U.S., earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant science, then usually a Ph.D.; some community colleges hire master’s graduates. Graduate teaching-assistant work builds teaching experience, and Ph.D. students write and defend original research.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
University professors and students once extracted a 100-foot-long sediment core from a lake where the water was over 400 feet deep.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1051.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251051.htm
- www.nsf.gov/science-matters/collecting-cores-braving-blizzards-measuring-microbe
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY