GeoCareer Futures: Myriad Opportunities,
Complex Pathways
Christopher M. KeaneAmerican Geological Institute
11 January 2007
Where we are today…
• ~50% of highest degree earners in geoscience do NOT work as a geoscientist
• ~50% of people working as geoscientists do NOT have their highest degree in geosciences
US Geoscience Employment1986
Academic7%
Government12%
Petroleum50%
Mining9%
Environmental7%
Retired/Unemployed10%
Other5%
AGI
US Geoscience Employment1993
Petroleum34%Mining
7%Environment
12%
Government12%
Retired/Unemployed23%
Academic11%
NSF
US Geoscience Employment2000
Petroleum
30%
Mining
8%
Environmental
14%
Government
16%
Academia
20%
Unemployed/Retired6%
Other
6%
AGI
US Geoscience Employment 2005
Oil43%
Mining12%
Other Services1%
Environmental8%
Exec. Management1%
Academia17%
Government18%
BLS
Student Attitudes and Careers2005
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
State
/Loca
l
Feder
al
Enviro
nmen
tal
Min
ing
Petro
leum
Academ
iaK-1
2
High T
ech
Gener
al B
usines
s
Continue
Educatio
n
Other
Outsid
e of G
eosc
ience
Inte
nti
on
Rat
e
AGI
Student Interest vs. Opportunity
• Hostility towards private sector– Source of bulk of opportunities
• “Environmental Awareness”– Student interest declines precipitously
• Preference for government– Little to no hiring growth
• 29% of students intend to look at “non-traditional” careers
Is there a regional difference?
• Petroleum– Sharply lower in the NE (27%)– Higher in Mid West (41%)
• High tech– Sharply higher in NE & West (10%)
• Business– Sharply higher in the NE (12%)
• Outside geosciences– Much higher in the NE (22%)
Petroleum Geoscientist Demand
Geologists, Geophysicists, and Engineers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020Year
Pet
role
um
Geo
scie
nti
sts
(Th
ou
san
ds)
New Entries (3% Growth)
Current Workforce
Total Workforce
Demand
The Enrollment Rollercoaster1955-2005
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
4000019
5519
5719
5919
6119
6319
6519
6719
6919
7119
7319
7519
7719
7919
8119
8319
8519
8719
8919
9119
9319
9519
9719
9920
0120
0320
05
Ma
jors
Undergraduate
Graduate
Newly Minted Geoscientists
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
B.S.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Female Geoscience Enrollment and Degrees
1974-2004
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
Year
Per
cen
t F
emal
e
Enrolled
Graduated
2004
50
Race and Gender – the future?
• Gender– Females now dominate at the university– Geoscience second at attracting women– Industry discontinuing female
preferences
• Race– Minorities tend not to move for college – Few geo programs near minority areas– Lack of cultural continuity
Mean Salaries2005
•Geologists–Petroleum$107K–Mining $69K–Finance $84K–Consulting $68K–Academia $58K–Government
•Federal $86K•State $51K•Local $62K
• Hydrologists–Consulting $65K–Academia $57K–Government
•Federal $75K•State $52K•Local $63K
BLS
Common Employer Concerns
• Poor student preparation– Little or poor quality field experience– Too much specialization (e.g. Env.
Companies what geologists, not environmental science majors)
• Work ethic challenges– Little sense of professionalism– US new hire parochialism
• Business sense– What business sense?
Employer Perspectives – Oil and Gas
• The Labor Market– International workforce in “big oil”– Increased role of small independents
• The Solution– “Big Oil” will pay for what they need– Small independents try to hire away– Increased role of in-country staff
• The Sleepless Night Points– 50% of oil/gas geoscientists in 10 years are
not currently employed– Where will senior management come from?
Employer Perspectives – Mining
• The Labor Market– Very international workforce– Need to import labor– Poor capitalization dilemma
• The Solution– Closer cooperation with universities– Targeted cross-training of engineers
• The Sleepless Night Points– Whole subdisciplines are nearly extinct (e.g.
ventilation)– Balancing of exploration with development– Labor pricing pressures
Employer Perspectives – Environmental
• The Labor Market– Local offices, local licensure requirements– Labor supply is far below needs– Challenge of bringing new hires up in
billable hours
• The Solution– Hiring and promoting
• The Sleepless Night Points– Little industry coordination– Marginal field experience of new hires
Employer Perspectives – Others
• The Labor Market– Little hiring in academia and
government– Budget constraints make replacement
unlikely
• The Solution– Extended careers and postdocs
• The Sleepless Night Points– Fear the budget at all levels
The Future - 2014
• Geologists– 8.3% growth– V. low unemployment, high earnings– MS remains the optimal degree
• Hydrologists– 31.6% growth– V. low unemployment, high earnings– MS remains the optimal degree
• Geo Engineering– 1.5% decrease– V. low unemployment, high earnings– BS remains optimal degree
BLS
The Challenges
• Labor shortage is not unique• Budget shortages are not unique• Determining why we want majors
– Meet society’s needs– Framework for leadership
• Not losing the opportunities– K-12 is starting to rebound– Jobs are available– Bridging the gap from K-12 to major
Need Some New Thinking
• Attrition Math– 340,000 Intro Geo Students– 6,000 New Geo Majors Per Year– 2,700 New Geo BS Degrees Per Year
• Internal Competition– Are we fighting for other STEM students?– Are other STEM fields friends or
enemies?• How to meet needs in a Uni.
Environment– Divergent university and professional
demands