Side-by-side distribution
Geologist
$110,240
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.3%
- Live roles
- 128
Researcher
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.1%
- Live roles
- 3,513
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
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Lead, Quant Engineer
Senior Clinical Research Associate - Oncology (US)
Researcher, Training
Researcher, Training - London
Vice President, Quantitative Researcher, Infrastructure & Real Assets
Researcher, Safety Training, National Security
Researcher, Alignment
Researcher, Misalignment Monitoring Lead
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 |
|---|---|---|
| NU Northeastern University | $72,754 | 73 |
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$55,000 | 42 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 37 |
IQVIA
|
$131,100 | 36 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 29 |
| SJ St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $72,500 | 23 |
USC
|
$71,892 | 21 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $70,875 | 19 |
Geologist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $52,500 | 5 |
Geologist vs Researcher: which pays more?
The median for Geologist is $110,240 per year (typically $70,000–$140,000), versus $105,000 for Researcher ($72,754–$162,725). That puts Geologist about 5% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Geologist and Researcher 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.