CONSIDER WORKING FOR A STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY!

There are 49 State Geological Surveys or equivalents across the United States. While official names vary (Bureau of Mines and Geology, Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Bureau of Economic Geology, etc.) all have similar missions related to geologic mapping, mineral resource evaluation, water resources studies, hazard mitigation, geoscience data preservation, and research and education.

State Geological Surveys offer wonderful opportunities for geoscience careers, and hire individuals at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels. State Surveys employ geologists and hydrogeologists, and offer opportunities for GIS specialists, database experts, field technicians, geochemists, and almost any discipline related to geoscience. State survey employees work mostly within their own states and frequently interact with local issues, local and state governments, and individual citizens. These staff members engage in field research, sampling, and mapping across their states.

State surveys obtain most of their base funding from state and local sources, and most are either co-located with state universities or a part of other state agencies such as departments of natural resources. Surveys range in size from employing just a few to hundreds of permanent staff members. Most state surveys work cooperatively with adjacent states and with federal agencies such as the USGS, EPA, USDA, and others.

The focus of work at State Surveys varies from state to state, governed by local needs and interests. For example, in the eastern and midwestern US, water resources programs tend to dominate, while mineral programs are more active in the mountain states, and hazards programs more common along the west coast. Some surveys have specific regulatory functions often related to mineral or oil and gas resources.

State geological surveys communicate and share information through a national organization, the Association of American State Geologists. The AASG supports and advocates for programs that support cost-effective leveraging of federal and state funding to meet the needs of the nation related to geologic mapping, data preservation, critical minerals, geohazards, water resources, and other issues.