Geoscientist
Study the structure of the Earth to find new sources of oil, gas, minerals and water. Help protect people who live in places with volcanoes and earthquakes.
Also known as: geophysicist, geologist
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£538
Entry level
£808
Experienced
Monthly
£2,333
Entry level
£3,500
Experienced
Yearly
£28,000
Entry level
£42,000
Experienced
3,700
people are currently employed
High growth
200 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would study the structure of the Earth and investigate mineral and energy resources. You’d do research to find ways to protect people who live in places with volcanoes and earthquakes.
You’d research how the planet was formed and shaped over time.
Depending what kind of project you work on, you would:
Check if ground is suitable for engineering projects like building dams or tunnels
Advise on suitable sites for landfill or storage of nuclear waste
Search for energy resources and minerals like oil and gas
Search for new water supplies
Study volcanoes and earthquakes to develop early warning systems for nearby communities
You’d use a range of methods for the investigations including:
Drilling
Seismic surveying
Satellite and aerial imagery
Electromagnetic measurement
It will be important to have good observation skills. You’d also need to work with a lot of statistical and graphical information.
This is a broad field of work, so you could specialise in:
Geophysics
Environmental geology
Natural hazards
Energy resources
Mining and extraction
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- analysing
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- researching
- observation
- problem solving
- written communication
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Geography
Physics
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science
You would need a degree (SCQF level 9/10) or postgraduate qualification (SCQF level 11) in a relevant subject, such as
Geology
Geosciences
Earth science
Geology
Geophysics
Petroleum geology
Exploration geology
To enter a relevant degree requires at least four Highers at AAAA (SCQF level 6) or relevant HND (SCQF level 8).
To enter a postgraduate MSc or PhD usually requires an honours degree (SCQF level 10) in a relevant subject such as geophysics, maths, physics, computing or geology, and experience.
It is becoming more common for applicants to geoscience to already hold or be working towards postgraduate qualifications such as an MSc or PhD (SCQF level 11/12).
You can find courses accredited by the Geological Society on its website.
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