Also called: Geological Technicians
Geological Technicians build time management, judgment and decision making and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Geodetic Surveyors (88%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geodetic Surveyors | 88% | $75,440Pay for the broader BLS group “Surveyors” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 85% | $59,920 | +12% | None |
| 3 | Surveying and Mapping Technicians | 84% | $54,240 | +2% | None |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 79% | $74,510 | +40% | None |
| 5 | Hydrologists | 78% | $96,600 | +81% | None |
| 6 | Surveyors | 75% | $75,440 | +41% | None |
| 7 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 74% | $101,920 | +91% | None |
| 8 | Materials Scientists | 73% | $117,790 | +121% | None |
| 9 | Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists | 72% | $122,570Pay for the broader BLS group “Physical Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Petroleum Engineers | 72% | $144,910 | +172% | None |
Compared with Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians, median $53,350. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as geological technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
88% skill match · $75,440 (broader BLS group)
Programming · Quality Control Analysis · Complex Problem Solving
85% skill match · $59,920 · +12% pay
Operations Analysis · Quality Control Analysis · Troubleshooting
84% skill match · $54,240 · +2% pay
Programming · Systems Analysis · Quality Control Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Geodetic Surveyors (88% skill match, median $75,440), Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians (85% skill match, median $59,920) and Surveying and Mapping Technicians (84% skill match, median $54,240), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 20 pay more than geological technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Engineers (+172%, $144,910), Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+130%, $122,890) and Electrical Engineers (+126%, $120,630).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.