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Principal Geologist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Slrconsulting

Principal Engineer

$140K - $190K/yr

We are seeking a highly accomplished Principal Scientist, Principal Engineer (PE), or Principal Geologist (PG) to join our New Jersey Land Quality & Remediation (LQR) environmental practice. This is ...

SLR Consulting Limited

Principal Engineer

$140K - $190K/yr

We are seeking a highly accomplished Principal Scientist, Principal Engineer (PE), or Principal Geologist (PG) to join our New Jersey Land Quality & Remediation (LQR) environmental practice. This is ...

Strata, LLC

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GEOLOGIST/ENGINEER I/II - UIC / GIS

Wichita, KS · On-site

$60K - $80K/yr

Principal duties include use of GIS/Geologic software (ArcGIS/Petra) to develop maps and figures for permit applications and reports; field geology/engineering ; and client report preparation for ...

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$36.5K

$109.4K

$182K

How much do principal geologist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal geologist in the United States is $109,393.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $85,000.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal geologist?

A Principal Geologist is a senior-level geoscientist who leads geological projects, provides technical expertise, and manages teams within organizations such as mining companies, environmental consultancies, or government agencies. They are responsible for designing and overseeing geological investigations, interpreting data, and making recommendations based on their findings. Principal Geologists often play a key role in project planning, risk assessment, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Their extensive experience allows them to mentor junior staff and contribute to strategic decision-making within their organization.

What are some typical challenges principal geologists face when leading multidisciplinary projects?

Principal Geologists often oversee complex projects that require collaboration with engineers, environmental scientists, and regulatory agencies. Coordinating these diverse teams can be challenging due to differing priorities and communication styles. Additionally, Principal Geologists must ensure that geological assessments align with project goals, budgets, and timelines while adhering to safety and environmental standards. Strong leadership, clear communication, and problem-solving skills are essential to successfully navigate these challenges and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Is there a high demand for principal geologists?

Principal geologists are in steady demand in industries such as oil and gas, mining, and environmental consulting, especially in regions with active resource exploration and development. The role often requires advanced technical skills, industry experience, and relevant certifications, with employment prospects influenced by commodity prices and environmental regulations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal geologist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Geologist, you need advanced expertise in geological science, extensive fieldwork experience, and a relevant degree such as geology or earth sciences, often supplemented by professional registration (e.g., P.Geo or CPG). Proficiency with geological modeling software, GIS tools, and data analysis platforms is commonly required, alongside familiarity with regulatory and reporting standards. Exceptional leadership, communication, and project management skills help you guide teams and effectively liaise with stakeholders. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensure accurate assessments, regulatory compliance, and successful execution of complex geological projects.

What is the difference between Principal Geologist vs Senior Geologist?

AspectPrincipal GeologistSenior Geologist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Geology, often with 10+ years experienceBachelor's or Master's in Geology, typically with 5-10 years experience
Work EnvironmentLead projects, oversee teams, and coordinate with clientsConduct fieldwork, data analysis, and support project execution
Employer & Industry UsageConsulting firms, oil & gas, mining, environmental companiesMining companies, environmental agencies, consulting firms

The Principal Geologist typically holds a senior leadership role, overseeing projects and teams, while the Senior Geologist focuses more on technical fieldwork and data analysis. Both roles require strong geological expertise, but the Principal Geologist has greater managerial responsibilities and client interaction.

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Principal Geologist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Geologist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,393 per year, or $52.6 per hour.

Principal Geologist - Environmental Assessment and Remediation

Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.

Fresno, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted yesterday

Job description

Overview
Are you interested in building a meaningful career that can help make a positive impact on the world?
At Geosyntec, we partner with clients to solve complex challenges at the intersection of the environment, water, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. We are seeking a Principal Geologist to help lead and grow our Environmental Assessment and Remediation practice in California, with an emphasis on supporting the Fresno office, Central Valley market, and broader Northern California operations.
This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an accomplished environmental consultant with strong technical expertise, established client relationships, and a proven ability to develop, sell, manage, and deliver complex environmental investigation and remediation programs. The successful candidate will help strengthen Geosyntec's regional presence, expand our environmental consulting capabilities, and support strategic growth across industrial, municipal, energy, solid waste, transportation, and government markets.
In this role, you will provide senior technical leadership, client and business development vision, project delivery oversight, and people leadership for multidisciplinary teams working on complex environmental assessment, remediation, compliance, and restoration projects. You will mentor and develop high-performing staff, cultivate long-term client relationships, and collaborate with regional and national leaders to deliver innovative, technically sound, and practical solutions.
Our work includes a broad range of technically challenging and high-value projects, such as:
  • Environmental site assessment, site characterization, and remedial investigations involving soil, groundwater, soil vapor, sediment, and surface water.
  • Remediation planning, feasibility studies, remedial design, remedy implementation, construction oversight, and long-term operations, maintenance, and monitoring.
  • Vapor intrusion assessment and mitigation, soil gas investigations, risk evaluation support, and regulatory strategy development.
  • Projects involving petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, metals, PFAS, PCBs, and other emerging or complex contaminants.
  • Regulatory programs and projects involving the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards, DTSC, CUPAs, CERCLA, RCRA, CalEPA programs, and local agencies.
  • Technical strategy, permitting support, stakeholder engagement, and advisory services for public- and private-sector clients.

Our clients span the industrial, institutional, energy, solid waste, transportation, municipal, and public-sector markets, offering the opportunity to work on impactful projects that address critical environmental and resource challenges.
This position offers the opportunity to:
  • Lead and grow a strategic environmental assessment and remediation practice in California, with a focus on Fresno, the Central Valley, and Northern California.
  • Develop and expand client relationships across environmental, industrial, energy, solid waste, transportation, public-sector, and private-sector markets.
  • Serve as a Client Manager, Account Lead, or senior technical advisor for key strategic clients.
  • Work on complex projects that address critical environmental, groundwater, remediation, compliance, and infrastructure challenges.
  • Collaborate with recognized technical experts across Geosyntec's national and international consulting platform.
  • Make a lasting impact through strategic growth, mentorship, technical excellence, and exceptional client service.

Geosyntec is an innovative, international engineering and consulting firm serving private and public-sector clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving our environment, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. Our engineers, scientists, technical and project employees serve our clients from offices across the world. Ranked by ENR as one of the top environmental engineering design firms, Geosyntec is internationally known for its technical leadership, broad experience, and exceptional client service.
We invest in our people. Each employee is unique, and your career at Geosyntec will be too. We offer competitive pay and benefits, and well-being programs to support you and your family.
To Learn More Visit: http://www.geosyntec.com/careers/.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
  • Lead business development strategy for the Fresno office, Central Valley market, and broader California environmental assessment and remediation practice, including identifying opportunities, developing client relationships, expanding existing accounts, and leading proposal efforts.
  • Serve as a Client Manager, Account Lead, or senior technical advisor for one or more strategic clients.
  • Provide senior technical leadership for environmental investigation, remediation, compliance, restoration, and long-term monitoring projects.
  • Lead complex, multidisciplinary projects from planning through delivery, including scope development, technical strategy, investigation design, feasibility evaluation, remedial design, permitting, construction support, regulatory negotiation, quality review, risk management, and client engagement.
  • Direct preparation and review of technical reports, work plans, feasibility studies, remedial action plans, design documents, permit applications, regulatory submittals, proposals, and client correspondence.
  • Manage project performance, including scope, budgets, resources, schedules, quality standards, profitability, contracts, subcontractors, and multidisciplinary team coordination.
  • Set practice vision, support recruiting and team development, mentor staff, and help drive strategic growth for the Fresno office and Northern California operations.
  • Collaborate with professionals from multiple disciplines and offices to provide integrated, practical, and future-ready solutions for clients.
  • Represent Geosyntec in meetings, presentations, and negotiations with clients, regulators, teaming partners, contractors, industry groups, and other stakeholders.
  • Interpret and summarize technical data and regulatory requirements to support sound scientific conclusions and defensible client recommendations.
  • Promote and model a strong health and safety culture, which is fundamental to our operations.
  • Complete required OSHA/MSHA health and safety, first aid, CPR training, and medical monitoring, as applicable and paid for by the firm.
  • Drive personal, company, and rental vehicles to client, project, office, and other business locations, as needed.

Education and Licensure
  • Bachelor's degree in geology, hydrogeology, earth sciences, environmental science, or a closely related science field. (required)
  • Advanced degree in geology, hydrogeology, environmental science, or a related discipline. (preferred)
  • California Professional Geologist (P.G.) license. (required)

Skills, Experience and Qualifications
  • At least 10 years of directly relevant environmental consulting experience, including significant client development and project management responsibilities; or equivalent combination of education and experience. (required)
  • Consulting experience with investigation and remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater, soil vapor, sediment, and vapor intrusion issues. (required)
  • Experience with contaminants including petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, chlorinated solvents, PFAS, PCBs, and/or emerging contaminants. (required)
  • Strong understanding of California environmental regulatory programs, including DTSC, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, CERCLA, RCRA, CUPA programs, and other CalEPA or local agency requirements. (required)
  • Demonstrated success developing client relationships, leading business development efforts, winning work, and growing consulting services. (required)
  • Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and mentoring early-, mid-, and senior-level professionals. (required)
  • Strong project, program, and financial management experience, including scope, budgets, resources, schedules, profitability, risk, quality, and client satisfaction. (required)
  • Experience preparing and supervising technical reports, proposals, work scopes, pricing, budgets, and project performance metrics. (required)
  • Ability to work collaboratively and influence across offices, practices, and disciplines, including with senior leadership, clients, regulators, teaming partners, and staff without direct reporting relationships. (required)
  • Strong oral and written communication, technical writing, presentation, negotiation, and client engagement skills. (required)
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced consulting environment, manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and travel to client facilities or project sites, as needed. (required)
  • Experience with remedial design, remedy construction, construction oversight, and operation and maintenance of environmental remedies. (preferred)
  • Experience supporting major industrial, municipal, energy, solid waste, transportation, or government clients. (preferred)
  • Established professional network and client relationships within California environmental markets. (preferred)
  • Current OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training and refreshers. (preferred)
  • Health and safety training, medical monitoring, and client-driven drug and background testing may be required.
  • Valid U.S. driver's license and satisfactory driving record for business travel. (required)

This opportunity will be posted for at least five days. Below are the potential compensation ranges that we in good faith believe are applicable for this role at the time of this posting and are only applicable for jobs to be performed in the specified location(s) below. The typical base salary range for this position is just one component of Geosyntec's total compensation package for employees. Actual compensation will be determined based on education, experience, skill set and location.
  • Minimum Salary: $135,070/year / Maximum Salary: $189,100/year (Fresno, CA)

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including paid holidays, vacation, sick, and personal paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 401(k), and other benefits to eligible employees.
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