Geoscience Resources on
Opportunities in the Workforce

A collection of non-academic career resources for geoscience students, mentors, and departments. Use this tool to discover career pathways, explore occupations, view career profiles, and learn how to find a geoscience position that fits your skills and interests.




For geoscience students For geoscience departments

Looking for a geoscience job outside of academia?

The diverse skill sets of geoscientists are well suited to a range of real-world applications and job opportunities in industry, government, non-profit organizations, policy, education, and communication. Defining a career path outside of academia can be challenging for geoscience students as their professors and mentors often lack firsthand experience or resources to help students enter the non-academic geoscience workforce. This collection of career resources is intended to support job seekers with an undergraduate or graduate degree in geoscience. New materials, including our "Ask an Expert" pages, have been created with input from our contributors to supplement excellent existing resources published by professional societies, geoscience employers, and others. 

AGI Workforce Infographic (note: too large to show on temp page, will be on final)

Workforce Infographic courtesy of AGI. Illustration by K. Cantner, content by H. Houlton & A. Seadler.
Click here for accessible text-based version.

Geoscience jobs are plentiful and salaries are competitive. 

Geoscience jobs are expected to increase by 4.9% between 2019 and 2029 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The retirement of 27% of the existing workforce, plus over 22,000 new jobs, will drive demand for young geoscientists over the coming decade (American Geosciences Institute). 

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) Workforce Infographic illustrates the many occupations a geoscientist could have across fields and sectors. You might be surprised to learn that your geoscience degree could help you become a financial advisor, an illustrator, or a lawyer! The geoscience workforce is fluid and evolving, with job opportunities to fit a range of interests and skills (AGI Critical Needs 2020: A Diverse and Robust Workforce).

Braided River Model for STEM workforce development



The braided river STEM workforce career development model by Batchelor et al. (2021). Click here for accessible text-based version.

Career paths in the geosciences are varied, fluid, and adaptable. 

The geoscience workforce can be envisioned as a braided river (Batchelor et al., 2021). There is no single entry point to the workforce; individuals may find their way to the geosciences from a four-year university, technical or community college, or a job in another discipline. Like a branch of the river, a geoscientist's career will evolve in response to further education, personal responsibilities, and new interests, potentially spanning multiple positions and sectors.

Read more about how the braided river model redefines our thinking about STEM career paths and envision yourself as a member of an ever-changing workforce. 

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The workforce by the numbers

Select a graph below to view geoscience workforce data published by the American Geosciences Institute. Learn more by visiting AGI's Workforce Program, where you can view recent Geoscience Currents, surveys & reports. For accessible versions of these figures, contact workforce@americangeosciences.org.

 

About
  • GROW is a collection of career resources for undergraduate and graduate students in the geosciences, intended to help students identify and pursue career paths beyond academia.
Support
  • This project was supported by the National Science Foundation (Award #1911527) and our many contributors who generously volunteered their time and knowledge to assist our team.

Disclaimer
  • Any opinions, findings, and recommendations expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation nor of contributor employers.
Feedback
  • We welcome feedback from the geoscience community. Please contact us with your suggestions, including new career resources and Ask an Expert contacts.
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