A wide variety of employment opportunities are open to geologists. Many are employed in private industry by firms involved in environmental and engineering geology and groundwater, and in exploration for oil and mineral resources. A growing number of geology graduates obtain employment with federal or state geological surveys, or with agencies involved with the environment or with energy. Although government agencies and industrial firms hire some geologists with B.S. or B.A. degrees, these employers generally prefer geologists who have obtained the M.S. degree. Currently a few colleges and secondary schools also hire geologists.