Dr. James Ebert, from SUNY Oneonta’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, visited Sidney Central School earth science classes to speak about careers related to geoscience, as well as the program at SUNY Oneonta.
During his presentations, Ebert provided an overview of job opportunities in the field. Citing statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, he shared that job openings in all occupations will increase by 6.5 percent between 2015 and 2024. During that same period, geology related jobs are projected to increase by 10.5 percent, and meteorology jobs will increase by 9.2 percent.
The increase in demand has led to an increase in salaries, and opens a career field for students who enjoy problem solving, working with their hands, like to travel, and enjoy a mix of field and office work.
SUNY Oneonta offers degrees in geology (including environmental geology), meteorology, earth science, earth science education, and climatology. SUNY Oneonta’s programs feature a smaller class size and a lot of field experience opportunities.