Geoscientist
Study the structure of the Earth to find greener sources of energy, minerals and water. You’d protect people who live in places with volcanoes and earthquakes.
Also known as: geophysicist, geologist
About the job
Career insights - Geologist
What it's like
You would study the structure of the Earth and investigate mineral and energy resources. You’d do research to find ways to protect people who live in places with volcanoes and earthquakes.
You’d research how the planet was formed and shaped over time.
Depending what kind of project you work on, your tasks might include:
checking if ground is suitable for engineering projects like building dams or tunnels
advising on suitable sites for landfill or storage of nuclear waste
searching for energy resources and minerals like oil and gas
searching for new water supplies
studying volcanoes and earthquakes to develop early warning systems for nearby communities
You’d use a range of methods for the investigations including:
drilling
seismic surveying
satellite and aerial imagery
electromagnetic measurement
It's important to have good observation skills. You’d also need to work with a lot of statistical and graphical information.
This is a broad field of work, so you could specialise in:
geophysics
environmental geology
natural hazards
energy resources
mining and extraction
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Hours
Your hours of work would depend on the sector you work in. Some jobs could involve working 9am to 5pm in an office or laboratory. In other areas like drilling or testing, you may work longer hours and have a more irregular schedule. If you were based on an oil rig, you would spend several weeks on an offshore platform, followed by the same amount of time onshore, as leave.
Environment
This type of work could be physically demanding, depending on the project and conditions.
Travel
Fieldwork and research trips could involve working in the UK or in other parts of the world such as Iceland, Australia or New Zealand. You need to be willing to travel and be away from home for long periods.
Explore more information about this job
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- geophysics
- petrel
- seismic analysis
- geologic modeling
- geophysical data
- seismology
- geophysical surveys
- hydrography
- marine geology
- petrophysics
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- researching
- observation
- problem solving
- written communication
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Geography
Physics
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science
You would need a degree (SCQF level 9/10) or postgraduate qualification (SCQF level 11) in a relevant subject, such as
Geology
Geosciences
Earth science
Geology
Geophysics
Petroleum geology
Exploration geology
To enter a relevant degree requires at least four Highers at AAAA (SCQF level 6) or relevant HND (SCQF level 8).
To enter a postgraduate MSc or PhD usually requires an honours degree (SCQF level 10) in a relevant subject such as geophysics, maths, physics, computing or geology, and experience.
It is becoming more common for applicants to geoscience to already hold or be working towards postgraduate qualifications such as an MSc or PhD (SCQF level 11/12).
You can find courses accredited by the Geological Society on its website.
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