Geologists, geophysicists, and oceanographers held about 44,000 jobs in 1998. Many more individuals held geology, geophysics, and oceanography faculty positions in colleges and universities, but they are considered college and university faculty.

    Among salaried geologists and geophysicists, nearly 1 in 3 were employed in engineering and management services, and 1 in 6 worked for oil and gas extraction companies or metal mining companies. About 1 geoscientist in 8 was self-employed; most were consultants to industry or government.

    The Federal Government employed about 5,800 geologists, geophysicists, oceanographers, and hydrologists in 1998. Over half worked for the Department of the Interior, mostly within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Others worked for the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Over 3,000 worked for State agencies, such as State geological surveys and State departments of conservation.

Taken from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics