Economic geologists are geologists who study how natural resources are distributed. They study the cost to obtain the resources and compare it to the value the resources are expected to receive. Although economic geologists are geologists by education, the data they produce is of most interest to investment bankers, stock analysts and similar professions.
Education
You can secure an entry-level position in the field with a bachelor's degree but a master's degree is preferred, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you want to do research or teaching, you will want to get a Ph.D. in economic geology that involves sub-disciplines such as geophysics, structural geology and stratigraphy. Course work in economic geology also will include courses in business, engineering and other fields outside of geology.
Licensing
Once you graduate with your degree in geology or economic geology, the state where you work might require you to be licensed. This is a definite requirement if you plan on teaching. However, some states requiring licensing of geoscientists who will be dealing directly with the public. Licensing requirements include education, experience and a passing grade on the state licensing exam.
Certification and Membership
Another mark of a higher level of training or specialization in economic geology would be voluntary certification or membership on economic geology organizations. For instance, the Irish Economic Geology Association requires members to have a degree in geosciences from a recognized university and to have worked in the mineral or petroleum/gas exploration field or have done closely related work for a minimum of five years.
Employment
There were 33,600 geoscience jobs in the United States in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the number is not broken down by specialty areas, though 19 percent were employed by oil and gas extraction companies. Most of these positions would be economic geologists as well as some scattered throughout other industries. The geosciences field is expected to grow by 18 percent between 2008 and 2018. Much of this growth will be driven by the search for new energy sources.
