Career Overview for Environmental Science Majors

Job Outlook

Employment for environmental scientists is expected to grow much faster than the average compared to all other occupations for the 2008-2018 decade. Employment for environmental scientists is projected to increase by 28%. Job growth should be strongest in private sector consulting firms. Driving the growth is the increasing demand placed on the environment by population growth and increasing awareness of the problems caused by environmental degradation. Also spurring employment is the need for organizations to comply with an increasing number of environmental laws and regulations, particularly with groundwater contamination and clean air.

Salaries earned by environmental scientists are dependent on degree level. According to the most recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, median salaries for environmental scientists and specialists were $59,750.

For specific data on the job outlook for a career where geology is the foundation, refer to the Occupational Outlook Handbook at or ONET.

Qualities and Skills of a Geologist

• Ability to work with a team
• Communication and quantitative skills
• Critical thinking & problem solving
• Detail-oriented
• Inquisitive
• Interpersonal skills
• Integration and application of knowledge
• Observational and investigative skills
• Physical stamina for fieldwork
• Professional values & ethics
• Understanding of relationships, interactions and patterns

What kind of work can you do with a degree in geology ?

• Aquatic ecology and toxicology
• Ecology
• Education
• Environmental compliance
• Environmental consulting
• GIS analyses
• Groundwater protection
• Hydrology and Hydrogeology
• Industrial hygiene
• Landfill operation & monitoring

• Land use planning
• Natural resource management
• Natural resource utilization
• Planning-land use, water, air quality
• Political action and lobbying
• Public and environmental health
• Quality control & risk assessment
• Reclamation of contaminated lands
• Research
• Recycling

• Safety and health management
• Soil and water conservation
• Surface water management
• Sustainability planning
• Technical writing
• Waste treatment and disposal
• Water resource protection & mgmt.
• Wetland protection

Where do environmental science majors find jobs?

• Colleges and universities
• Environmental agencies and companies
• Environmental consulting firms
• Environmental research labs
• Government agencies
• Indian nations
• Land trusts

• Law firms
• Military
• Mining companies
• Museums
• Non-profit organizations
• Political action committees

• Private waste management firms
• Scientific foundations
• State farm bureaus
• Utilities and timber companies
• Zoos and wildlife parks

Education - Where will your degree take you?

Bachelor Degree	Masters Degree	Doctoral Degree
Entry level positions in local, state, federal government, consulting, land trusts, and industry and preparation for graduate programs in science and law	Managerial positions in government, consulting, industry, non-government organizations, and research and teachers at high school and community colleges	Positions in independent research at universities, university faculty, government agencies (USEPA, NASA, USDA etc), thinktanks, non-government organizations