You gain experience, exposure, and valuable contacts. One of the most exciting and fun things about a career in geology is being able to travel and visit beautiful and exotic areas of the world. Geologists work on every continent and in every ocean. There are many possible types of careers and thus many types of job settings, from the research laboratory to the classroom, to the field. Geologists work for many types of employers such as government agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey, mining and mineral exploration companies, petroleum companies, construction firms, colleges and universities, and research institutions.
Some geologists are self-employed as private consultants.
Geologist Pam Pinson looks for copper minerals through a binocular microscope. Geologist Pam Pinson and drillers at a drilling site. Geologist Marguerite Rodriguez mapping a mine bench face, looking for copper minerals at the Phelps Dodge Chino Mine.