Side-by-side distribution
Geologist
$87,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.5%
- Live roles
- 109
Physicist
$188,125
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 38.6%
- Live roles
- 220
Highest-paying jobs
Project Geologist
Principal Resource Geologist
Geologist / Hydrogeologist Project Manager
Sr. Professional Geologist
Lead Geologist - Land
Senior Exploration Geologist
Managing Consultant, Engineer/Geologist/Scientist Project Manager
Managing Consultant, Project Manager, Engineer/Geologist/Scientist
Senior Geologist
Engineering Geologist - Mi-Tech Services, Inc.
Highest-paying jobs
Sr. Medical Physicist (Palm Springs, CA)
Senior Medical Physicist Radiation Therapy
Med Physicist Oncology Sr
Physicist - Radiation Oncology
Medical Physicist - per diem
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist - per diem
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist (Yakima, WA)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Barr Engineering
|
$70,000 | 6 |
| MC Michels Corporation | $84,240 | 3 |
|
Fugro
|
$142,870 | 2 |
| SC SLR Consulting | $137,500 | 2 |
|
ERM
|
$124,149 | 2 |
| TE True Environmental | $75,000 | 2 |
| VE Verdantas | $68,750 | 2 |
|
SpaceX
|
$160,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Siemens Healthineers
|
$200,060 | 14 |
Applied Materials
|
$164,000 | 13 |
|
Advocate Health
|
$234,572 | 4 |
|
Albany Medical Center
|
$256,344 | 3 |
| AD AdventHealth | $231,248 | 3 |
Sanford Health
|
$222,040 | 3 |
Infleqtion
|
$211,000 | 3 |
Rochester Regional Health
|
$127,500 | 3 |
Geologist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $70,000 | 3 |
Physicist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $211,000 | 3 |
Geologist vs Physicist: which pays more?
The median for Geologist is $87,500 per year (typically $70,000–$124,150), versus $188,125 for Physicist ($142,500–$222,040). That puts Physicist about 115% 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.