Side-by-side distribution
Geologist
$110,240
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.3%
- Live roles
- 128
Physicist
$191,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.2%
- Live roles
- 232
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Geologist
Principal Resource Geologist
Principal Resource Geologist
Principal Geologist
Geologist
Geologist / Hydrogeologist Project Manager
Sr. Professional Geologist
Principal Hydrogeologist / Principal Geologist
Principal Hydrogeologist / Principal Geologist
Senior Exploration Geologist
Highest-paying jobs
Dir, Chief Medical Physicist Therapy
Multiple Faculty Physicist positions, Radiotherapy Physics Division, Department of Medical Physics | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Sr. Medical Physicist (Palm Springs, CA)
Radiation Physicist - Cabarrus Levine Cancer
Medical Physicist Oncology Senior - Levine Cancer Proton & Advanced Radiation Center
Med Physicist Oncology Sr
Physicist - Radiation Oncology
Medical Physicist - per diem
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist - per diem
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| SC SLR Consulting | $162,500 | 8 |
ERM
|
$124,149 | 7 |
Barr Engineering
|
$70,000 | 6 |
LaBella Associates
|
$52,250 | 4 |
| TA Terra AI | $217,500 | 1 |
|
Endurance Energy
|
$180,000 | 1 |
|
ONEOK
|
$164,000 | 1 |
|
SpaceX
|
$160,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Siemens Healthineers
|
$205,063 | 16 |
Applied Materials
|
$164,000 | 16 |
|
Advocate Health
|
$252,148 | 6 |
|
Albany Medical Center
|
$256,344 | 3 |
| AD AdventHealth | $231,248 | 3 |
IonQ
|
$165,000 | 3 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$101,450 | 3 |
| BU Brown University Health | $249,954 | 2 |
Geologist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $52,500 | 5 |
Geologist vs Physicist: which pays more?
The median for Geologist is $110,240 per year (typically $70,000–$140,000), versus $191,000 for Physicist ($142,500–$228,437). That puts Physicist about 73% 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.