Career Opportunities
What do Earth Systems Scientists do?
- help our communities and governments understand the impacts of climate change
- help communities have a sustained supply of clean water
- guide the understanding of risks and improving of resilience to natural hazards such as earthquakes, flooding, extreme weather, and landslides
- select safe locations for development in our built environment
- ensure that soils and streams are safe for people & wildlife
- help inform the sustainable use of natural resources
- conduct fundamental research on the Earth and its history, its processes, and its future
Types of careers vary, but most Earth Systems Scientists typically perform some or all of the following in their jobs:
- Plan and conduct field studies, sample collection, remote environmental data collection and water/soil/sediment surveys
- Analyze maps, archived data on water resource and climate conditions, rock/soil/sediment cores and other data to describe earth surface and near-surface materials, resources, and hazards
- Conduct laboratory tests on water, soil, rock and sediment samples collected in the field
- Produce maps, charts and other visualizations about earth-surface features, natural hazards, climate impacts, water resources, etc.
- Prepare written scientific reports; review reports and research done by other scientists; present their findings to clients, colleagues, and other interested parties
A wide variety of employment opportunities are open to Earth Systems Scientists, with a growing national and international workforce in most climate-, water- and environment-related career paths. Many are employed in private industry by firms involved in environmental services, engineering geology, and water resources. Other careers include information services, K-12 education, science communication, sustainable resource extraction & remediation, and non-profit/NGO outreach & advocacy. A number of Earth Systems Science graduates obtain employment with federal or state agencies involved with the climate change, environment, natural resources, sustainability, or energy, as well as municipal and regional planning departments. Careers involving technical skills typically demand a B.S. degree, and advanced degrees such as M.S. allow even broader opportunities using specialized knowledge.