Earth Sciences

The employment outlook for those in earth science positions is generally expected to be good through 2033. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts faster than average job growth for several earth science occupations during this period, due to a large number of expected retirements and the relatively low number of qualified earth science graduates entering the field. The American Geosciences Institute notes that technology and innovation are helping to fill the employment gap somewhat. One concern is that employers are finding that new graduates lack several important skills in areas such as leadership, writing, collaboration, project management, analytics, adaptability, and programming.

Opportunities also vary by specialty. Most geologists and geophysicists are employed in the oil and gas industry. This industry can be somewhat volatile, but when oil prices are high, as they were the past few years, employers tend to invest more heavily in the research that geologists and geophysicists do. The ever-increasing demand for energy resources and the development of new technologies has brought some stability to this field in recent years. For example, the technique of hydraulic fracturing, breaking through rock formations in the ground and releasing the natural gas and oil there, has increased the world's ability to produce an ample supply of these fossil fuels for the next several decades. Initially, fracturing created a boom in the industry in specific areas of the country in which it was successful. Most of the large shale plays are in the Appalachian states, Texas, Louisiana, and in some plain states.

The prospects for employment should be favorable in the areas of environmental protection and reclamation. The DOL predicts a 7 percent growth rate in the number of environmental scientist and specialist positions through 2033, which is faster than the average. Earth scientists will be needed to help clean up contaminated sites in the United States and help private companies and government agencies comply with environmental regulations.

Positions with agencies dependent on government funding, however, will be closely tied to the status of federal and state budgets. In times of cutbacks, there will be little if any job growth with such agencies.

Most oceanographers' work is research-based and there will be stiff competition for funding, especially funding from government agencies. Opportunities are better for those with advanced education and for those who have expertise in other sciences or engineering.

Overall employment of geographers is expected to increase by 3 percent through 2033, a rate that is slower than the average, according to the DOL. Geographers will be needed to provide input in the planning phases of all types of construction and development projects. They will also be needed to research natural hazards, the use of resources, and other topics essential for planning infrastructure and development. Competition for work will be keen. Geographers who have graduate degrees, experience with geographic technology, and specialized expertise will have the brightest employment outlook. With more companies becoming global enterprises, the demand for geographers to assist with choosing business sites is also creating opportunities for these scientists. Geographers are especially needed for assessing human impacts on the environment. They will be needed to research topics such as natural hazards and the use of resources, which are essential for infrastructure planning.

Employment for meteorologists is expected to grow by 6 percent, or faster than the average, according to the DOL. Most new jobs should be available in private industry, where weather-monitoring firms can provide constituents with more detailed local and seasonal forecasting than the general forecasts provided by the National Weather Service. New technologies have improved the accuracy of forecasts, and industries that depend on these forecasts, such as the airline and alternative energy industries, are turning more to meteorologists to develop specialized weather forecasts for planning purposes. The National Weather Service has no plans to increase the number of weather stations or the number of meteorologists in existing stations for many years, and employment of meteorologists in other federal agencies is expected to remain stable.

The pandemic caused a global financial downturn in 2020, which led to cuts in research budgets for earth scientists and slowdowns for ongoing projects. In some cases, travel restrictions prevented earth scientists from conducting field research. In the academic world, shifts to remote learning for college and other higher education affected hiring, leading to fewer job opportunities. At the same time, the pandemic created new research opportunities for environmental scientists because lockdowns, quarantining, and diminished travel decreased carbon emissions and air pollution.

The American Geosciences Institute reported that in the 2021 to 2022 academic year (the most recent data available from the AGI), the pandemic caused a decline in undergraduate and graduate level enrollments in geoscience programs. The report stated that the decline was initially driven by the drop in students who aimed to use the degree as an entry to employment in the shale oil and gas industry, and that sector has softened during the pandemic. Students were also unsure of their employment opportunities during and post pandemic. The report concluded that "the long-term post-pandemic enrollment trajectories for both undergraduate and graduate majors is likely to become evident by 2024."

The U.S. weather forecasting services industry, as of June 2024, was a $10.2 billion industry. It experienced a 2.5 percent decline in revenue from 2019 to 2024. The research group IBISWorld predicted 1.6 percent growth in the industry for 2024, and continued industry growth through 2029. This growth could be attributed to factors such as the economy stabilizing, more businesses having discretionary funds for weather forecasting services, increase in climate change patterns and increased safety concerns, and growth in renewable energy production.