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73. Petroleum Geologist

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Petroleum Geologist
Median pay: $149,000
Top pay: $247,000
10-year job growth: 21.2%
Total jobs*: 33,800
What they do all day? A petroleum geologist works with oil companies to figure out where oil deposits are and whether it's worth tapping into them. Using high-tech machinery like seismic X-rays, they may even determine where a drill should be placed to find oil deposits underground. --J.A.

Quality of life ratings:
Personal satisfaction Low stress Benefit to society Flexibility
A C B B
Published: October 29, 2012
Notes: All pay data from PayScale.com. Median pay is for an experienced worker (at least five or seven years in the field). Top pay represents the 90th percentile. Job growth is estimated for 2010-20, and based on people working in broader 'job family' from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
*Total jobs is estimated number of people working in broader BLS 'job family.'

Sources: PayScale.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNNMoney research
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