Also called: Surface Logging Technician
Lives on drilling rigs and studies the rock chips and gases coming up from the well.
You work 12-hour shifts for weeks at a time, examining rock cuttings under a microscope and watching gas readings to tell drillers what rocks they're hitting.
Includes rotation and overtime pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in geology preferred, though some start with on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Geology.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Automated gas sensors and AI rock-chip analysis are replacing rig-based mudloggers; fewer jobs.
Classes: Earth science, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4043.
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.