Identifies and studies minerals, the natural crystals that make up rocks.
You analyze minerals with X-rays and microscopes, maybe for a mining company or a museum. Some mineralogists discover brand-new minerals.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. Master's or PhD in geology or mineralogy.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Geology, Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Growth is for geoscientists overall.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI identifies minerals from scans; lab analysis and discovering new minerals stay human.
Classes: Earth science, AP Chemistry, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2042.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.