Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians vs Nuclear Technicians: $53K vs $110K Median Pay

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians vs Nuclear Technicians: what changes?

Consider Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians if you want to assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to obtain data indicating resources such as metallic ore…. Consider Nuclear Technicians if you would rather assist nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers, or other scientists in laboratory, power generation, or electricity production activities. Both list associate's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians and Nuclear Technicians. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians

National median pay (2025): $53,350
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Test and analyze samples to determine their content and characteristics, using laboratory apparatus or testing equipment.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (7,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians brief

Nuclear Technicians

National median pay (2025): $110,240
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 900

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (6,700 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Nuclear Technicians brief

How the national numbers differ

Nuclear Technicians has the edge on median pay

Nuclear Technicians is at $110,240, compared with $53,350 for Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians.

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians is at 3.6% projected growth, compared with 1.1% projected growth for Nuclear Technicians.

Typical preparation differs.

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians: Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Nuclear Technicians: Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians is at 1,000 annual openings, compared with 900 annual openings for Nuclear Technicians.

35.8/ 100

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians

47.2/ 100

Nuclear Technicians

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians vs Nuclear Technicians

Dimension	Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians	Nuclear Technicians
Median pay (2025)	$53,350	$110,240
Pay percentile	38.8 percentile	88.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.6%	1.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,000	900
2025 employment	7,300	6,700
How you qualify	Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians brief Read Nuclear Technicians brief

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians vs Nuclear Technicians: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians

Nuclear Technicians

How the national numbers differ

Nuclear Technicians has the edge on median pay

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians vs Nuclear Technicians

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