Geology Careers
In The New Millennia
AIPG
Presented by
Jayne Englebert and David Voight
March 7, 2002
What Is This Program About ?
 Informing college students of opportunities in
geology
 Answering career-related questions
 Providing advise on career paths
 Explaining the importance of professional
registration
Who Are We?
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Dave – T N& Associates, Inc.
Jayne – MSA Professional Services, Inc.
State registered professional geologists
Certified professional geologists - AIPG
Questions Graduates Want Answered
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What courses do I need to succeed?
What are my career options?
What will I do in practice?
Who are my potential employers?
Where will I live?
Is there job security?
How much will I make?
Courses To Succeed
 Basic Geology Courses To Cover National Registration
Standards
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Physical and Historical
Mineralogy and Petrology
Structural
Stratigraphy
Field Course, plus 12 advanced level for a total of 36 semester or
45 quarter hours
Courses - Continued
 Specialty Courses That Help
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Hydrogeology
Geophysics
Soils
Petroleum Geology
Engineering Geology
Economic Geology
Courses - Continued
 Beneficial Non-Geology Courses
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Technical Writing
Business / Economics / Accounting
Chemistry / Physics
Geotechnical Engineering
Law / Regulatory / Legislative Reviews
Computer Applications:
DBM / Mapping Systems (GIS), Networking,
Spreadsheets, Graphics for Presentations
Career Path Options In Geology
by who you can work for . . .
 Academic
 Government / Non-Profit
 Industry / Consulting
Career Path Options Academic
Elementary
Secondary
University
Teach
(BS)
Teach
(BS / MS)
Teach, Publish, Research
(PhD)
Career Path Options
Government/Non-Profit
Regulatory
Research
Non-Regulatory
Policy/Proceedures
Code Development
Plan Review
Enforcement
Specialty Fields
- Environmental
- Paleoclimate
- Oceanography
Resource Management
Minerals Assessment
Career Path Options
Industry and Consulting
Industry and Consulting
Environmental Compliance
- water
- air
- groundwater
Resource Exploration
- metals
- non-metallics
- fossil fuels
Resource Management
- metals
- non-metallics
-fossil fuels
Remember - Consulting follows industry!
What Will I Do ?
“You’ll Do It All !”
 Field
– sample, measure, observe, and document
 Lab
– analyze soil, rock, and water samples for physical and
chemical make-up
 Office / Public
– interpret data
– prepare maps, sections, reports
– model, present
Who Are Potential Employers ?
 Academics
– schools and
universities
 Research
– universities, large
corporations,
government, and
institutes
 Government Regulatory
– Federal
EPA
DOE
– State agencies
DNR DOC
DOA DOT
Potential Employers - Continued
 Government Regulatory
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Non-
US and State GS’s
NOAA / NASA
ACOE / BLM
FBI / CIA
Military
Municipal
DOT / DOE (as owners)
 Industry / Consulting
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Oil
Mining
Solid Waste
Manufacturers
Finance / Brokerage
Insurance
What Areas of Interest Do
Geologists Prefer ?
 Total Geologists in US in 2000 ~ 97,000
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65% (64,000) = Environmental
20% = Oil/Gas Extraction or Mining
3% (3,100) = Federal Government
3% (2,600) = State Agencies
8% (8,000) = Hydrologists
1% = Miscellaneous
UW-Madison MS/PhD Graduates
1989-2000
Masters Graduates
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Industry
Academia
Administration
Non-Geology10%
PhD Programs
27%
6%
14%
PhD Graduates
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Industry
Academia
Administration
Non-Geology 9%
28%
43%
20%
45%
By contrast, in 1999, 68% of Colorado School of Mines
graduates accepted industry positions!
Where Will I Live ?
- By Industry
 Oil / Gas - Major Companies
– Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, International
 Oil / Gas - Minor Companies
– Texas, Louisiana, rarely other states
 Mining
– west US, International
 Environmental
– anywhere
Where Will I Live ? - Cont.
- By Industry  Academic / Non-Industry Research
– Primary/secondary = anywhere
– Research = university locations and major cities with
research facilities
 Regulatory / Government
– state capitals and cities with district offices
Employment Outlook
- By Industry “Varies with economic and environmental needs. Dependent on ability to
tolerate risk, reward, and security”
 Oil / Gas
– good due to domestic shortages and need for environmental
stewardship and “staff gap”
 Mining
– moderate due to continued metals demand and need for
environmental stewardship
Employment Outlook - Cont.
- By Industry  Environmental
– good for consulting due to regulations and focus on
environmental stewardship
 Academic
– good / excellent at primary and secondary levels as science
teachers
– poor at universities due to declining enrollments
Employment Outlook - Cont.
- By Industry  Non-Industry Research
– poor at universities due to declining enrollments
– steady at federal / state agencies due to attrition
 Regulatory / Government
– steady at federal / state agencies due to attrition
How Much Will I Make ?
- By Industry Employer
Mining
Oil/Gas
Govn’t
Academic
Environt’l
Starting Salary Long-Term Job
Low
High
Security
$44,200
$51,700
Low
$42,000
$65,000
Low
$29,100
$31,300
High
$30,000
$38,000
High
$32,800
$40,100
Moderate
How Much Will I Make ?
- By Degree -
Degree
Bachelors
Masters
PhD
Starting Salary
Low
High
$29,100
$ 48,600
$38,000
$ 52,500
$42,000
$ 65,000
Note that the lowest salaries are typically government or academic jobs
and the highest salaries are oil/gas company jobs.
How Much Will I Make ?
- 1999 Colorado School of Mines Averages
 Geoscience Degrees
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Geology
Geophysics
Mining
Petroleum
$35,338
$46,000
$42,070
$49,786
 Comparable Degrees
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Civil Engr
Elect Engr
Mechnl Engr
Math/Compt Sci
Eco/Business
Chemistry
Consider these high-end salaries for MS degrees
$38,039
$48,554
$44,882
$49,058
$43,313
$44,138
Focus on Environmental
Consulting Career Path
 What career paths are available ?
 What are the typical career ladders in environmental
consulting ?
 What do you need to succeed ?
 What is the market outlook ?
Career Paths In
Environmental Geology
Consulting
Industry
Organization
Solid Waste
Management Co.
Financial
Institution
Industrial Environmental
Compliance
Regulatory
Career Ladder In
Environmental Consulting
Company
President
Management
Roles
Project
Management
Technical
Roles
Office
Manager
Senior
Professional
Personnel
Management
Professional
Geologist
Business
Development
Field
Geologist
Technical
Leader
Technical Knowledge
Needed To Succeed
 Hydrogeology
– Solid mapping and cross sectioning skills
– Miscible and non-miscible flow
 Multi-disciplinary fields
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Field sampling methods
Geophysical methods
Chemistry
Statistics and Computer skills
Non-Technical Skills
Needed To Succeed
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Writing and speaking
Negotiating
Organizing
Legislative / regulatory process
Business / project management
The Best Job Candidates Are . . .
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Willing to pay their dues in the field
Excellent communicators
Open to listen and learn new ideas
Able to adapt to meet economic needs
Have more than 1 area of expertise
Have business acumen
Past Market For
Environmental Consulting
 Growth market in the 1980s
– 40% growth / year
 Very stiff competition in the 1990s
– 10%- 20% reduction since 1991
 Mature market in late 1990s
Future Market For
Environmental Consulting
 Current market is mature
– Normal turnover, entry level opportunities
– Better outlook due to:
power demands
new international programs
new regulations (wetlands, air, land use)
clean water shortages
increased environmental stewardship, and
decrease in available candidates
Those with business acumen in highest demand!
Growth Opportunities In
Environmental Consulting
 Non-regulatory based markets
– Brownfield redevelopment
Working with developers on contaminated lands
– Financially based improvements to existing environmental
controls
– Long-term land use management and resource protection
plans
What Drives The Market
In The Long Run
 Achieving your client’s objectives
 Saving money for your client
– minimizing remediation efforts
– turn-key remediation (fast)
 Helping your client make money
– fast permitting for speed to market
– design with new technology
Professional Registration
What Is It ?
 State statutory authority over the practice
of a profession
Professional Registration
What Does It Do ?
 Provides states assurances of minimum
competency
 Charges geologists with protecting public health,
welfare, and environment
 Provides penalties for practicing illegally,
unethically, or outside field of expertise
Professional Registration
Basic Requirements Are ?
 Bachelor’s degree
 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in geology at
approved college
 5 yrs experience; 7 yrs with peer review
 Letters of recommendation
 Exam (ASBOG)
American Institute of Professional
Geologists
Who Are We ?
 Started at Colorado School of Mines in 1963
 Advocate for the Geology Profession
 National Membership over 8,000
 Quarterly magazine
 Range of Membership Categories
Case Study
Barrel Fill History - 1979
November 2001
Site Investigation
Activities
Radiological Surveys
Geophysical Surveys
Background Soil and Groundwater Studies
Surface Water and Seep Characterization
Landfill Gas and Leachate Characterization
Soil and Aquifer Characterization Studies
Residential Well Sampling
Ecological Surveys
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary (Eagan)
From Eagan, 2000, Figure 5-1
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary (EPA)
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary
General Geology
 Upper Till: clayey silt glacial till and intertill deposits with thin
interbedded sand and gravel
 Lower Sand and Gravel: dominantly sand and gravel
interbedded with clayey silt glacial till which increases to south
and with depth
 Bedrock: highly porous limestone or dolomite
 Complex identification/correlation of glacial/interglacial units
requires integration of all data
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary (Eagan)
From Eagan, 2000, Figure 3-1
Other Investigation Activities
• Evaluate existing pump test data
• Estimate water budget (EPA vs. Danis)
• Research chromium occurrence and transport
• Perform supplemental aquifer characterization
studies
• Review existing isotopic data
• Provide assistance with evaluating flow paths and
estimating transport rates
Geological and Hydrogeological Model
Summary (EPA)
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary (EPA)
Geological and Hydrogeological
Model Summary (cont.)