Geophysics Degrees
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Salaries For Degrees in Geophysics
Those who majored in Geophysics can work in a variety of jobs. While no one can say with certainty what you personally will do with a degree in Geophysics, our survey panel picked the following jobs as likely options:
Students with a degree in Geophysics are considered well prepared for becoming Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers.
The median salary for people with a degree in Geophysics is $74,785.88. The lifetime value of this degree is approximately $1,815,105.00.
Salaries are highly dependent on how skilled one is at negotiation, seniority in the field, policies at your employer, region, and more besides. The estimates we show on these pages are just that: estimates. Your individual experience will likely vary.
Where does this come from?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the US government, classifies all workers into some 800-odd occupational categories. We paid a team of freelancers to get their view on what type of degree a holder of each type of job would likely have majored in. For pairs which had a high degree of consensus, we created a link between the degree and the job.
From this, we calculated the average salary for Geophysics degrees and converted it into a lifetime value. We then compared it against other degrees at the same level of schooling (such as associate's, bachelor's, or master's), so that you can make informed educational and employment decisions.
What Can a Geophysics Student Expect to Learn?
Geophysicists measure, example, and explore the natural physical properties of the earth. Geophysical data is used to measure plate tectonic movements, learn about the internal structure of the Earth, and to non-destructively detect shallow deposits of oil.
Geophysical surveys are used to analyze potential petroleum reservoirs and mineral deposits, locate groundwater, locate archaeological finds, determine the thickness of glaciers and soils, and for environmental remediation. Geophysicists can work for the United State Geological Survey studying the Earth’s gravity, using analytical methods to locate mineral deposits, studying the internal structure and evolution of the Earth, the cause and potential locations of earthquakes, or learning about oceanography or other physical features.
Type of Work and Salary
Geophysicist work sites can vary from a remote location to a computer lab. Employment opportunities for geophysicists are better than more fields. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, an employment growth of 18 percent is expected for geoscientists between 2008 and 2018. The median annual wage of geoscientists in 2008 was $79,160. In March 2009, the federal government’s average salary was $108,118 for geophysicists.
The job market for geophysicists is closely related to the price of oil and gas. When prices are high, job opportunities for geophysicists increase dramatically. Employers in the petroleum exploration and mining industries typically desire geophysicists with Master’s degrees. Geophysics students whose goal is academia will likely need to earn a PhD to teach at a university. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate approximately 23 percent of geoscientists are employed in architectural, engineering, and related services and 19 percent work for oil and gas extraction companies.
Additional Studies
Geophysics incorporates principles and concepts from physics, mathematics, and geology. Geophysics students should expect to have coursework in these areas as well as topics from any of the subfields of geophyhics. Geophysics encompasses several subfields including geodesy, tectonophysics, geodynamics, seismology, geomagnetism, mathematical geophysics, exploration and engineering geophysics, archaeological geophysics, and environmental and engineering geophysics.
Geodesy encompasses measurements of the Earth and includes GPS, vertical, and horizontal motions of the planet’s surface, navigation, study of the Earth’s gravitational field, and the size and shape of the Earth. The study of the large-scale movements of the Earth’s surface and subsurface includes the fields of tectonophysics, geodynamics, and seismology. Techtonophysics is defined as the study of physical processes the cause and result from plate tectonics.
The study of the deformation within the Earth including rock deformation, mantle flow and convection, heat flow, and lithospheric dynamics make up the field of Geodynamics.
Seismology includes the study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth. Exploration geophysics used to find oil and gas uses seismology to character the Earth’s shallow subsurface.
Geomagnetism is the area of geophysics which focuses on the Earth’s magnetic field. This area focuses on telluric currents driven by the magnetic field, the Van Allen belts, and the interaction between the magnetosphere and solar wind. An associate field is paleomagnetism which uses measurements of the orientation of the Earth’s magnetic field over the geologic past to interpret geological events.
Different Types of Geophysics
Mathematical geophysics emphasizes the development and applications of mathematical methods and techniques to provide the solution for geophysical problems.
Geophysical surveying is a tool used in exploration and engineering geophysics, archeological geophysics, and environmental and engineering geophysics. Exploration and engineering geophysics utilize indirect subsurface methods to detect or infer the presence and location of mineral and hydrocarbon concentrations.
Archeological geophysics is a sub discipline of geophysics used to provide archeological imaging or mapping.
Environmental and Engineering Geophysics incorporate subsurface remote sensing techniques to locate underground storage tanks or utilities, unexploded ordinance, delineating the extent of landfills, finding voids or potential subsidence, finding the depth and velocity to P-waves and S-waves, and determining the pathway of groundwater movement.
Students may also study concepts for several disciplines related to geophysics including: volcanology, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, physical oceanography, glaciology, geological and geophysical engineering, engineering geology, petrophysics, and mineralogy.
Online Schools Offering Accredited Geophysics Degree Programs
Online Schools offering Geophysics Degrees Geology degrees typical require extensive training in laboratory methods and field excursions. Currently there are no undergraduate degrees offered online.
Top Colleges & Universities Offering Campus-based Geophysics Degrees
Traditional schools offering Geophysics courses Students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree in geophysics can choose from schools located across the United States. The following highlights some of the country’s best undergraduate geophysics programs.
One of the best geophysics programs in the country is offered at the Colorado School of Mines’ Department of Geophysics. Undergraduate students learn principles of geophysics and geophysical engineering in areas such as groundwater, environmental, geotechnical, mining, and geohazard mitigation. The department helps geophysical engineering students prepare for the Engineer-in-Training/Fundamentals of Engineering (EIT/FE) exam by setting up review sessions during the fall semester.
University of Nevada
The University of Nevada’s Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering provides bachelor’s degree students with the opportunity to study a broad curriculum in geophysics including specialization in the areas of energy, natural resources, or engineering industry. The program boasts integration of geophysical principles with industry-standard computational and GIS tools to solve Earth science and related engineering problems. He also has a crater on the far side of the moon named after him.
Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech’s Geological and Mining Engineering and Science program emphasizes the application of geophysical techniques to determine the near-surface characteristic of rock and soil. Underground graduates of the program work in environmental, mining, and petroleum industries after learning investigational geophysical techniques used before the construction of dams, roads, building, landfills, waste repositories, and before mining or drilling in the program.
Stanford
Stanford’s School of Earth Sciences Department of Geophysics features an undergraduate program which teaches geophysics students to study Earth processes through a combination of laboratory experiments, computational and theoretical modeling, remote imaging, and direct observation. Graduates of the program typically pursue careers in academia, industry, and government.
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon’s Department of Geological Sciences offers an undergraduate degree track in geophysics which enables students to gain an understanding of Earth’s processes including earthquakes, mantle flow, plate movements, heat flow, and crustal deformation. The program emphasizes the application of quantitative methods to solve Earth science problems.
Famous Geophysics Students 
One of the most well known geophysicist was Alfred Wegener. The German born scientist proposed the controversial hypothesis of Continental Drift, which theorized that all the continents were floating on the mantle and drifting across the planet. It took over 38 years for his theory to gain acceptance however it widely accepted today.
The Croatian born geophysicist Andrija Mohorovicic is well known geophysicist for his studies Earth’s subsurface layers. He was first to establish that a discontinuity separates the crust of the planet from the mantle. The layer where this discontinuity occurs is called the Mohorovicic Discontinuity which was shortened to Moho.
One of the most famous oil geophysicist was Dr. M. King Hubbert. He gained notoriety for predicted that United States Oil production would peak sometime between 1965 and 1970. When his ideas were proposed in 1956, the scientific community laughed. However, United States oil production peaked in 1971.
Hubbert’s theories gained new fame when Professor Kenneth Deffeyes used them to predict global oil production would peak on December 16, 2005 in his book titled Hubbert’s Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage.
