Annual Salary
£25,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Palaeontologists study the history of life on Earth through fossils.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
2.4% more Palaeontologist jobs in 2027.
As a palaeontologist, you could:
You could work in a laboratory, in a museum, at a university or visit sites.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through a university course.
You'll usually need to complete a first degree followed by further study for postgraduate qualifications at master's or PhD level.
Subjects include:
Employers like universities or research institutions will expect you to have completed, or be working towards, a PhD in your specialist area of interest in palaeontology.
You'll usually need:
Volunteering at your local museum can help you learn more about palaeontology, especially where the museum has a fossil collection.
You can also get involved in activities organised by geology and fossil hunting societies, like Rockwatch and the Jurassic Coast Trust.
You can join The Palaeontology Association for professional development opportunities and to make contacts in the profession.
You can find more information about how to become a palaeontologist from The Palaeontological Association and the Natural History Museum.
With experience, you could become a:senior researcher, managing a project team; collections curator at a museum; lecturer in higher education
You may also find opportunities in geological surveying in mining and minerals exploration, or work as a consultant in media publishing.
You'll need: