# Earth & Geological Sciences jobs in the Netherlands for international graduates

Earth & Geological Sciences jobs in the Netherlands: typical pay €65,500, 1,880 open online job ads, +1.2% job growth to 2030, Orientation year 12 months.

Page: https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/netherlands/earth-and-geological-sciences

## Job market at a glance

The jobs **Earth & Geological Sciences** leads to, added together. Each label compares Earth & Geological Sciences with the other Dutch fields.

- **Open job ads vs last year**: -2.7% (Strong)
- **Open job ads**: 1,880 (Moderate)
- **Average pay (calculated)**: €65,500 (Moderate)
- **Entry-level pay (calculated)**: €50,500 (Moderate)
- **Growth to 2030**: +1.2% (Weak)
- **Change since 2024**: +9.1% (Strong)
- **People in these jobs**: 103,466 (Moderate)
- **Jobs on the EU shortage report (2025)**: 53% (Moderate)

People in these jobs: employees and self-employed, yearly average (CBS Labour Force Survey). Yearly pay is calculated by UNIFER from CBS hourly pay × 1,872 hours (36 a week), without holiday allowance, the same basis as the IND salary thresholds.

## Jobs this degree leads to

The jobs **Earth & Geological Sciences** courses most often lead to in the Netherlands, and how each one is doing.

| Job | Share | Average pay | Entry pay | Growth to 2030 | Online job ads a month (experimental) 2024 vs 2023 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Geologists and geophysicists | 33% | €64,958 est. | €49,795 | 0% | 8 -9.1% exp. |
| 2. Environmental protection professionals | 27% | €64,958 est. | €49,795 | 0% | 7 -33.3% exp. |
| 3. Civil engineers | 15% | €64,584 est. | €49,234 | +6% | 2,162 -16.8% exp. |
| 4. Physicists and astronomers | 14% | €64,958 est. | €49,795 | 0% | 8 -9.1% exp. |
| 5. Software developers | 6% | €64,584 est. | €50,170 | +4% | 2,206 -38.8% exp. |
| 6. Policy administration professionals | 5% | €77,126 est. | €65,146 | +2% | 768 -43.3% exp. |

Share: how common each job is among Earth & Geological Sciences destinations. Entry pay: lower-quartile pay, a guide to starting salaries. Job ads in this table: Eurostat's experimental count of online job ads for each job's occupation group (ISCO 3-digit), yearly ÷ 12, against the year before ("exp."). Where Eurostat has no figure, UWV's count for the wider Dutch occupation group is shown ("group figure"). The "Open job ads" tiles above are UWV's monthly count of open online ads. Dutch figures are published for broader occupation groups, so each job shows its group's figures ("est."). Swipe the table sideways for more.

## What graduates like you earned

CBS doesn't publish **Earth & Geological Sciences** separately; this is all **natural-science** master's graduates, working in the Netherlands.

- **Master's graduates in the Netherlands, 1 year on median · left university 2022/23**: €44,300
- **5 years on median · left university 2018/19**: €60,300
- **10 years on median · left university 2013/14**: €73,100
- **International graduates who stayed, 1 year on average, all fields and degree levels**: €38,622
- **International graduates who stayed, 5 years on average, all fields and degree levels**: €54,540

CBS figures: university master's graduates working as employees in the Netherlands; yearly pay calculated by UNIFER from median hourly pay × 1,872 hours, without holiday allowance. CBS does not split out international students. International graduates: Nuffic, graduates of 2013-14 to 2018-19 who stayed and worked in the Netherlands, gross yearly pay including holiday allowance, in 2023 euros.

## Staying to work after you graduate

How international students stay to work in the Netherlands after studying **Earth & Geological Sciences**.

1 Finish your course

A master's or a PhD from a Dutch university.

2 Orientation year 12 months

to look for a job in the Netherlands after graduating. You can work without a work permit while you look.

3 Work permit

**Highly skilled migrant:** an employer recognised by the IND hires you at a salary of at least **€37,464** a year, the reduced amount for recent graduates (during or after the orientation year, or within 3 years of graduating). Otherwise €52,284 under 30, €71,304 from 30.

**EU Blue Card:** at least **€57,048** a year within 3 years of graduating (€71,304 after that).

Amounts are the IND's monthly figures for 2026 × 12, without holiday allowance.

- **Typical pay in Earth & Geological Sciences jobs vs the salary a recent graduate needs**: €65,500 typical pay minimum **€37,464**
- **Earth & Geological Sciences jobs on the EU shortage report for the Netherlands (2025)**: 53%

In 2025, **7,631** non-EU students in the Netherlands switched from a study permit to a work permit, **1,096** of them Indian citizens.

Graduates living in the Netherlands who are citizens of non-EU countries: **74.4%** in work, against 91% of Dutch graduates (ages 25–64, 2025).

## Earth & Geological Sciences in other countries

Typical pay for the same jobs (in US dollars in brackets, at October 2026 exchange rates), projected growth, and post-study work after a master's.

- [Netherlands €65,500 ($73,300) Growth +1.2% (2025–30) · Orientation year 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/netherlands/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Belgium €64,900 ($72,600) Growth +19.1% (2022–35) · Search year 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/belgium/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Germany €70,200 ($78,600) Growth +5.4% (2023–40) · 18 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/germany/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [United Kingdom £48,900 ($65,400) Growth +10.8% (2025–35) · Graduate visa 18 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/uk/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [United States $96,100 Growth +4.6% (2025–35) · OPT 12 months, 36 with the STEM extension](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/us/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Canada CA$100,800 ($72,000) Growth +8.4% (2023–33) · PGWP up to 36 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/canada/earth-and-geological-sciences)

- [Australia AU$130,500 ($91,600) Growth +17.9% (2025–35) · 24 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/australia/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Ireland €47,700 ($53,400) Growth +5.1% (2025–28) · Stamp 1G 24 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/ireland/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Sweden SEK 587,000 ($59,000) Growth +39.3% (2022–35) · Permit to look for work 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/sweden/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Denmark DKK 737,800 ($110,500) Growth +25.6% (2022–35) · Job-seeking permit 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/denmark/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Finland €55,000 ($61,600) Growth +25.3% (2022–35) · Permit to look for work 24 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/finland/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [France €47,400 net ($53,100) Growth +31.8% (2022–35) · Job-search permit 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/france/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Poland PLN 113,900 ($29,000) Growth +34.8% (2022–35) · Permit to look for work 9 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/poland/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Spain €42,200 ($47,200) Growth +30.5% (2022–35) · Job-search permit 24 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/spain/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Italy €23,500 net ($26,300) Growth +36.8% (2022–35) · Permit to look for work up to 12 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/italy/earth-and-geological-sciences)
- [Switzerland CHF 106,200 ($128,800) Job search 6 months](https://uniferedu.com/job-market-research/switzerland/earth-and-geological-sciences)

## Dutch universities teaching Earth & Geological Sciences

6 Dutch universities offer 8 postgraduate courses in Earth & Geological Sciences. The highest ranked:

- [Delft University of Technology QS #48 · 1 course](https://uniferedu.com/universities/delft-university-of-technology)
- [University of Amsterdam QS #60 · 1 course](https://uniferedu.com/universities/university-of-amsterdam)
- [Utrecht University QS #113 · 3 courses](https://uniferedu.com/universities/utrecht-university)
- [Wageningen University & Research QS #154 · 1 course](https://uniferedu.com/universities/wageningen-university-and-research)
- [Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam QS #185 · 1 course](https://uniferedu.com/universities/vrije-universiteit-amsterdam)

[See all 8 courses in the Course Explorer →](https://uniferedu.com/explore?country=NL&sub_field=Earth%20%26%20Geological%20Sciences)

## Questions students ask

### How much do Earth & Geological Sciences graduates earn in the Netherlands?

University master's graduates in Natural sciences earned a median €44,300 a year one year after leaving and €60,300 five years after (calculated from hourly pay). International graduates who stayed in the Netherlands earned €38,622 a year on average one year after graduating and €54,540 five years after. Across all workers in these jobs, typical pay is €65,500 and starting pay about €50,500.

### Is Earth & Geological Sciences in demand in the Netherlands?

Employers posted about 1,880 open online job ads for these jobs in September 2026, 2.7% fewer than a year earlier. Employment in these jobs is projected to grow 1.2% from 2025 to 2030.

### Can I stay and work in the Netherlands after a Earth & Geological Sciences master's?

Yes, for 12 months on the orientation year after graduating, free to work while you look. To stay longer, an IND-recognised employer can hire you as a highly skilled migrant at a salary of at least €37,464 a year as a recent graduate.

## Where these numbers come from

Every figure comes from an official Dutch source. Tap a source tag next to any number for its details.

- [Werkzame beroepsbevolking; beroep (86320NED) — employed people by occupation, yearly](https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/86320NED/table)
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) · CC BY 4.0 (Statistics Netherlands, CBS) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Uitstromers ho werkzaam als werknemers; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (83815NED) — wo-master graduates](https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/83815NED/table)
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) · CC BY 4.0 (Statistics Netherlands, CBS) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (86355NED) — hourly pay by occupation, yearly figure calculated by UNIFER](https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/86355NED/table)
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) · CC BY 4.0 (Statistics Netherlands, CBS) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses — occupations in shortage, Netherlands](https://eures.europa.eu/living-and-working/labour-shortages-and-surpluses-europe_en)
European Labour Authority (ELA) / EURES National Coordination Office · European Labour Authority / EURES: reuse with acknowledgement of the source · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Online job advertisements by occupation (ISCO-08 three-digit), Netherlands — experimental statistics (jvs_a_isco3_r1)](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/jvs_a_isco3_r1/default/table?lang=en)
Eurostat · Eurostat reuse policy: free reuse with acknowledgement of the source (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Change of immigration status permits, education to employment, Netherlands (migr_reschange)](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_reschange/default/table?lang=en)
Eurostat · Eurostat reuse policy: free reuse with acknowledgement of the source (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Employment rates by educational attainment and citizenship, tertiary education, ages 25–64, Netherlands (lfsa_ergaedn)](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsa_ergaedn/default/table?lang=en)
Eurostat · Eurostat reuse policy: free reuse with acknowledgement of the source (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Nuffic — Stay rate and labour market position of international graduates 2013–2022 (May 2025)](https://www.nuffic.nl/sites/default/files/2025-05/nuffic-stay-rate-and-labour-market-position-of-international-graduates-2013-2022.pdf)
Nuffic (data: CBS, processed by ABF Research) · CC BY-NC 4.0 (non-commercial reuse; used for educational purposes with credit) · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [Dutch post-study and work residence rules — IND pages and 2026 required amounts (manually verified)](https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements)
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) — transcribed and verified by UNIFER · Official government information · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [ROA Arbeidsmarktinformatiesysteem (AIS) tot 2030, edition 2026 — expected growth in employment by occupation](https://doi.org/10.34894/DVQTOG)
Researchcentrum voor Onderwijs en Arbeidsmarkt (ROA), Maastricht University · CC BY 4.0 (DataverseNL); ROA asks to be consulted on large-scale publication · loaded 19 Oct 2026

- [UWV Dashboard Datasets — open online vacancies by occupation group (Beroepsgroep)](https://www.uwv.nl/nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie/datasets)
UWV (Employee Insurance Agency), Afdeling Arbeidsmarktinformatie en -advies · Reuse terms not published (unverified); used with credit for educational, non-commercial purposes · loaded 19 Oct 2026

Indicative figures from official Dutch sources. They describe groups of graduates and workers, not what any individual will earn or be offered. Visa rules change, so check ind.nl before you decide.