Side-by-side distribution
Geologist
$109,050
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.3%
- Live roles
- 30
Physicist
$155,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.1%
- Live roles
- 37
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Geologist
Project Geologist
Lead Resource Geologist
Senior Exploration Geologist
Geologist or Geologist-in-Training
Environmental Scientist / Geologist / Engineer
Environmental Engineer, Scientist, or Geologist I
Environmental Scientist, Geologist or Engineer
Senior Exploration Geologist (Solomon Islands - FIFO Roster)
Senior Exploration Geologist (Solomon Islands - FIFO Roster)
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Quantum Physicist
Staff Quantum Sensor Physicist
Clinical Medical Physicist
Quantum Physicist
Divertor Plasma Physicist (Scientist/Sr. Scientist/Manager)
Clinical Affairs Specialist - Physicist / Dosimetrist
Health Physicist
Senior Physicist - Resilience Engineering & Operations
Experimental Physicist (Accelerator)
Accelerator Physicist
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
LaBella Associates
|
$61,700 | 2 |
|
IBMC
|
$46,200 | 2 |
|
Endurance Energy
|
$180,000 | 1 |
|
Mariana Minerals
|
$157,500 | 1 |
|
Apex Companies
|
$150,000 | 1 |
|
KoBold Metals
|
$140,000 | 1 |
|
Evr
|
$109,050 | 1 |
| TE True Environmental | $70,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Infleqtion
|
$211,000 | 3 |
|
Thea Energy
|
$130,000 | 3 |
|
Acceleron Fusion
|
$130,000 | 2 |
|
IonQ
|
$129,946 | 2 |
|
Luminis Health
|
$199,000 | 1 |
|
Helion
|
$158,000 | 1 |
|
Radformation
|
$155,000 | 1 |
Geologist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $62,400 | 3 |
Physicist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $211,000 | 3 |
Geologist vs Physicist: which pays more?
The median for Geologist is $109,050 per year (typically $62,400–$150,000), versus $155,000 for Physicist ($130,000–$170,500). That puts Physicist about 42% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Geologist and Physicist are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.