How to become a geologist in Australia
Geologists study the composition, structure and other physical attributes of the earth to increase scientific knowledge and to develop practical applications in fields such as mineral exploitation, civil engineering, environmental protection and rehabilitation of land after mining.
Pay and growth are for the wider geologists, geophysicists and hydrogeologists group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the geologists, geophysicists and hydrogeologists group are projected to grow 16.6% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Conducts preliminary surveys of mineral, petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, mining engineers, metallurgists, and other mineral.
- Scientists and engineers.
- Prepares and supervises the production of laboratory reports and scientific papers.
- Conducts studies of the structure, nature and formation of the earth's crust and the minerals contained in it.
- Studies and dates fossils and rock strata to develop knowledge of the evolution and biology of life forms, and to assess their commercial applications.
- Studies the effects of natural events, such as erosion, sedimentation, earthquakes and volcanic activity, on the formation of the earth's surface and sea beds.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the geologists, geophysicists and hydrogeologists group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 96% a degree or higher, 1% a diploma, 0% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria0 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
No match in VTAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
NSW and ACT2 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of GeoScience · UNE70.45Showing 1 of 2 matches. Search every course.
Queensland2 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of GeoScience · UNE, Armidale70.35Western Australia11 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) in Earth Sciences · Curtin, Perth95.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Earth Sciences and Master of Geoscience · UWA, Perth90.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Earth Sciences and Master of Oceanography · UWA, Perth90.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Earth Sciences · UWA, Perth80.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Science (Science) in Earth Sciences · Curtin, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Applied Geology · Curtin, Perth62.30 Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Science (Earth Sciences) · Curtin, Perth86.80 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Metallurgical Engineering), Bachelor of Science (Science) in Earth Sciences (double degree) · Curtin, Perth70.75Showing 8 of 11 matches. Search every course.
Matched on course names, 15 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Investigative, Realistic, Conventional.
From O*NET ratings for "Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.