Geosciences currents reports on preliminary results for a nationwide survey of College Admission staff who report on their willingness to accept high school Earth Science courses.

NSF has created a tool that allows educators to explore trends in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related education and careers. The tool is designed to answer questions such as:

Compared to other states, how well are students in my state prepared in science and math? Am I doing enough to help my child as a parent? what are my (or my child's or student's) career opportunities in science and engineering fields? How much can I (they earn)?

The percentage of women earning geoscience degrees has increased steadily over the past two decades and in 2009, reached 43%. However, the representation of women in geoscience occupations continues to lag the percentage of women completing degrees in the discipline.

Read more: Source: Geoscience Currents, American Geological Institute, No 33, May 14, 2010

Geoscience salaries have Increased by 3.1% between 2008 and 2009

Despite the U.S. economy’s downturn, geoscience salaries increased by 3.1 percent between 2008 and 2009, which is slightly more than the salary growth for other science occupations (2.1%) and for all U.S. occupations (2.8%). In 2009, the top geoscience salaries were for management positions (Natural Science Managers: $127,000, Engineering Managers: $122,810), petroleum engineers ($119,960), and geoscientists (excluding hydrologists and geographers) ($92,710).

A useful video that explores the importance of teaching Earth Science and the geosciences...

Public schools have dropped Earth science from the required curriculum in recent years. Colleges have closed geoscience departments. Employers have said they need more qualified candidates for geoscience jobs. Does your public education system ensure that all students learn important Earth science content?