Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers Salary in Houston, TX

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $174,490 a year — 71% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $130,530 take-home, or $10,877 a month.

Median salary
$174,490
$83.89 per hour
Typical range
$65,480 – $239,200+
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
2,380
4.79× national concentration
▲3.7%
Pay trend: The median for geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers in Houston, TX rose from $168,280 (May 2024) to $174,490 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$130,530
per year · effective tax rate 25.2%
$10,877Monthly
$5,439Twice a month
$5,020Every 2 weeks
$62.75Hourly
  • Federal income tax$30,612
  • Social Security (6.2%)$10,818
  • Medicare (1.45%)$2,530
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$130,530

Marginal rate: 24% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers pay by experience in Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$65,480$31.48$54,793$4,566
25th percentile$122,350$58.82$94,892$7,908
Median (50th)$174,490$83.89$130,530$10,877
75th percentile$228,180$109.70$168,857$14,071
90th percentile (top earners)$293,090+$140.91$210,848$17,571

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $174,490 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers's $130,530 take-home pay has the buying power of $132,344 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
12% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
14% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$9,561
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Houston, TX has 4.8× the national concentration of geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers, adjusted for cost of living

Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Houston, TX $174,490$130,530$132,344

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 1 metros →

About the job: geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth’s internal composition, atmospheres, and oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+5.1% (faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers make in Houston, TX?

The median geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $174,490 a year, or about $83.89 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $122,350 and $228,180.

What is a geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?

On the median $174,490 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $130,530 a year ($10,877 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers?

Pay here is 71% above the national median of $101,920. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $132,344 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #1 of 1 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers afford rent in Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 12% of a median geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Houston, TX

Cost of living & all salaries in Houston, TX →