Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

19-4041 Geological and Petroleum Technicians

Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in both laboratory and production activities to obtain data indicating potential resources such as metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum. Analyze mud and drill cuttings. Chart pressure, temperature, and other characteristics of wells or bore holes. Investigate and collect information leading to the possible discovery of new metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum deposits.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
14,820 4.7 % $30.50 $63,450 2.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.99 $17.91 $26.05 $37.47 $52.13
Annual Wage (2) $27,010 $37,250 $54,190 $77,930 $108,420


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 4,630 0.33 $23.37 $48,600
Support Activities for Mining 3,320 1.22 $29.90 $62,200
Oil and Gas Extraction 2,810 2.08 $36.97 $76,890
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 760 0.06 $37.10 $77,170
Management of Companies and Enterprises 700 0.03 $46.31 $96,320

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 2,810 2.08 $36.97 $76,890
Support Activities for Mining 3,320 1.22 $29.90 $62,200
Metal Ore Mining 190 0.50 $29.39 $61,130
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 60 0.49 $47.90 $99,630
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 110 0.38 $31.97 $66,490

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 60 0.49 $47.90 $99,630
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 40 0.01 $47.06 $97,880
Management of Companies and Enterprises 700 0.03 $46.31 $96,320
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (8) (8) $39.21 $81,560
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 760 0.06 $37.10 $77,170


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 6,080 0.51 4.92 $33.00 $68,640
California 1,590 0.10 0.92 $25.79 $53,640
Oklahoma 1,180 0.75 7.24 $29.29 $60,920
Colorado 790 0.31 2.99 $42.60 $88,610
Louisiana 600 0.31 3.02 $31.05 $64,580




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 410 1.28 12.33 $37.64 $78,300
Oklahoma 1,180 0.75 7.24 $29.29 $60,920
Wyoming 160 0.58 5.60 $26.94 $56,040
Texas 6,080 0.51 4.92 $33.00 $68,640
Montana 180 0.40 3.80 $27.75 $57,730




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colorado 790 0.31 2.99 $42.60 $88,610
Alaska 410 1.28 12.33 $37.64 $78,300
Massachusetts 40 0.01 0.12 $33.38 $69,440
Texas 6,080 0.51 4.92 $33.00 $68,640
Kentucky 90 0.05 0.47 $32.91 $68,460



<

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,520 0.86 8.29 $39.85 $82,890
Oklahoma City, OK 630 1.04 9.97 $21.92 $45,590
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 510 0.51 4.95 $37.26 $77,490
Bakersfield, CA 320 1.05 10.06 $27.25 $56,670
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 300 0.54 5.18 $32.77 $68,160
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 290 0.12 1.13 $35.11 $73,030
Pittsburgh, PA 290 0.25 2.44 $24.28 $50,500
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 270 0.06 0.59 $19.95 $41,500
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 230 0.12 1.12 (8) (8)
Tulsa, OK 220 0.52 4.97 $37.25 $77,490


<

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Billings, MT 110 1.23 11.79 $28.49 $59,250
Bakersfield, CA 320 1.05 10.06 $27.25 $56,670
Oklahoma City, OK 630 1.04 9.97 $21.92 $45,590
Corpus Christi, TX 190 0.98 9.45 $18.55 $38,590
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,520 0.86 8.29 $39.85 $82,890
Anchorage, AK 130 0.73 6.99 $33.80 $70,310
Lafayette, LA 140 0.69 6.67 $30.94 $64,350
Longview, TX 50 0.60 5.74 $33.83 $70,370
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 300 0.54 5.18 $32.77 $68,160
Tulsa, OK 220 0.52 4.97 $37.25 $77,490


<

Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,520 0.86 8.29 $39.85 $82,890
Lubbock, TX 30 0.22 2.09 $37.92 $78,880
Tulsa, OK 220 0.52 4.97 $37.25 $77,490
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 510 0.51 4.95 $37.26 $77,490
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 30 0.06 0.62 $35.21 $73,230
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 290 0.12 1.13 $35.11 $73,030
Longview, TX 50 0.60 5.74 $33.83 $70,370
Anchorage, AK 130 0.73 6.99 $33.80 $70,310
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (8) (8) (8) $33.13 $68,910
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 100 0.04 0.36 $32.80 $68,230

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 300 1.56 15.00 $33.03 $68,700
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 250 3.48 33.53 $39.85 $82,880
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 160 0.97 9.29 (8) (8)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 1.12 10.80 $24.76 $51,510
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 150 0.55 5.33 $26.46 $55,030

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 250 3.48 33.53 $39.85 $82,880
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 300 1.56 15.00 $33.03 $68,700
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 60 1.44 13.90 (8) (8)
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 80 1.26 12.16 $25.65 $53,350
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 1.12 10.80 $24.76 $51,510

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 250 3.48 33.53 $39.85 $82,880
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 300 1.56 15.00 $33.03 $68,700
Southwest Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 40 0.73 7.06 $29.41 $61,170
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $29.24 $60,810
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 30 0.33 3.21 $27.63 $57,460


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018