Geophysicist
Also called field seismologist, geophysical engineer, project geophysicist
Geophysicists study the physical characteristics of the earth and apply physical measurements to geological situations. Geophysicists use the principles of gravity, seismicity and electromagnetics to identify the structure and composition of the earth.
What you'd do
Geologists and geophysicists · ILO- Conducting research and improving or developing concepts, theories and operational methods related to geology and geophysics
- Studying composition and structure of the Earth's crust, examining rocks, minerals, fossils and other materials to determine processes affecting the development of the Earth, trace evolution of past life, establish nature and chronology of geological formations and assess their commercial applications
- Interpreting research data and preparing geological reports, maps, charts and diagrams, reports and papers
- Applying geological knowledge to problems encountered in civil engineering projects such as the construction of dams, bridges, tunnels, and large buildings; and land reclamation projects
- Using various remote sensing programmes to investigate and measure seismic, gravitational, electrical, thermal, and magnetic forces affecting the Earth
- Estimating weight, size and mass of the Earth and composition and structure of its interior, and studying the nature, activity and predictability of volcanoes, glaciers and earthquakes
- Charting the Earth's magnetic field and applying this and other collected data for broadcasting, navigation and other purposes
- Studying and measuring physical properties of seas and the atmosphere and their inter-relationship, such as the exchange of thermal energy
- Locating and determining the nature and extent of oil, gas and mineral deposits using seismological, gravimetric, magnetic, electrical or radiometric methods
- Identifying deposits of construction materials and determining their characteristics and suitability for use as concrete aggregates, road fill or for other applications
- Researching the movement, distribution and physical properties of ground and surface waters
- Advising in areas such as waste management, route and site selection and the restoration of contaminated sites
Conduct field workPrepare scientific reportsAdvise on geophysical proceduresDocument seismic researchEngineer seismic equipment+ 2 more essential skills
What the work is like
- Indoors and outdoors
- A mix of sitting and standing
- Lots of contact with people
- Good freedom to decide
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines now and then
- Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers"
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospectsMany jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
948,000 new jobs
2,300,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Right now
2 of 27 countries report a shortage of geologists and geophysicists, 6 a surplus.
Geologists and geophysicists · EURESWhat does it pay?
Above averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €2,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €7,100 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Usually a degreeA degree in earth sciences is the usual route.
Highest qualification of science and engineering professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 90%Vocational 6%General secondary 3%Basic schooling 1%
Field that teaches it
Earth sciences
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Science and maths graduates in a matching job
63% in the EU
697 institutions in the EU offer science and maths bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
LittleAI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.
How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High
Average task score 0.36 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 12 tasks
Charting the Earth's magnetic field and applying this and other collected data for broadcasting, navigation and other purposes0.51
Studying and measuring physical properties of seas and the atmosphere and their inter-relationship, such as the exchange of thermal energy0.50
Interpreting research data and preparing geological reports, maps, charts and diagrams, reports and papers0.48
Advising in areas such as waste management, route and site selection and the restoration of contaminated sites0.40
Conducting research and improving or developing concepts, theories and operational methods related to geology and geophysics0.39
Using various remote sensing programmes to investigate and measure seismic, gravitational, electrical, thermal, and magnetic forces affecting the Earth0.38
Applying geological knowledge to problems encountered in civil engineering projects such as the construction of dams, bridges, tunnels, and large buildings; and land reclamation projects0.34
Researching the movement, distribution and physical properties of ground and surface waters0.33
Studying composition and structure of the Earth's crust, examining rocks, minerals, fossils and other materials to determine processes affecting the development of the Earth, trace evolution of past life, establish nature and chronology of geological formations and assess their commercial applications0.28
Estimating weight, size and mass of the Earth and composition and structure of its interior, and studying the nature, activity and predictability of volcanoes, glaciers and earthquakes0.27
Locating and determining the nature and extent of oil, gas and mineral deposits using seismological, gravimetric, magnetic, electrical or radiometric methods0.25
Identifying deposits of construction materials and determining their characteristics and suitability for use as concrete aggregates, road fill or for other applications0.23
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for geologists and geophysicists. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).