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Discover solutions, save the Earth
Gain insight into Earth’s processes and cosmic significance
Establish a strong and flexible foundation in natural and environmental sciences. Transfer to a 4-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree in a field such as geology, meteorology or astronomy.
Work wherever you choose! Earth Scientists are needed around the world (pun intended). You could work in rural or urban areas and in any sector—academic, for-profit, non-profit, research and more.
What can you do with an A.S. in Earth Science?
The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Earth Science prepares you to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree in geology, earth science or related fields, which prepares you for these careers.
Save money on your first 2 years and transfer your credits to the 4-year school of your choice.
Program Length: 2 Years
Finish in 2 years as a full-time student.
*Estimated cost is based on the minimum number of credit hours to complete the program. This estimate includes in-district tuition and comprehensive fees for the 2026-2027 academic year, before financial aid, including grants, loans and scholarships, is applied. Actual cost may vary to include additional fees, materials and other cost of attendance factors such as living expenses, transportation, etc. Explore opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about the Cost of Attendance.
Career Outlook
Investigate atmospheric phenomena and interpret meteorological data, gathered by surface and air stations, satellites, and radar to prepare reports and forecasts for public and other uses. Includes weather analysts and forecasters whose functions require the detailed knowledge of meteorology.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$52,985
Median
$121,527
Senior-Level
$306,555
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$25.47
Median
$58.42
Senior-Level
$147.37
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Bachelor's Degree
60%
Master's Degree
20%
Doctorate
20%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Teach courses in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$43,860
Median
$75,818
Senior-Level
$151,076
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$21.08
Median
$36.44
Senior-Level
$72.63
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Bachelor's Degree
5.07%
Master's Degree
49.78%
Doctorate
45.15%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Manage, improve, and protect natural resources to maximize their use without damaging the environment. May conduct soil surveys and develop plans to eliminate soil erosion or to protect rangelands. May instruct farmers, agricultural production managers, or ranchers in best ways to use crop rotation, contour plowing, or terracing to conserve soil and water; in the number and kind of livestock and forage plants best suited to particular ranges; and in range and farm improvements, such as fencing and reservoirs for stock watering.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$35,042
Median
$69,085
Senior-Level
$116,061
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$16.84
Median
$33.21
Senior-Level
$55.80
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Certificate
4.35%
Bachelor's Degree
78.27%
Master's Degree
13.04%
Doctorate
4.35%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$77,553
Median
$118,614
Senior-Level
$166,878
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$37.28
Median
$57.02
Senior-Level
$80.23
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Associate Degree
4.76%
Bachelor's Degree
66.66%
Master's Degree
28.57%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Measure large areas of the Earth's surface using satellite observations, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), or related sources.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$48,154
Median
$79,351
Senior-Level
$122,937
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$23.15
Median
$38.14
Senior-Level
$59.10
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
High school diploma or less
3.7%
Some college
3.7%
Associate Degree
3.7%
Bachelor's Degree
85.18%
Master's Degree
3.7%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Assist scientists or related professionals in building, maintaining, modifying, or using geographic information systems (GIS) databases. May also perform some custom application development or provide user support.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$48,922
Median
$102,350
Senior-Level
$174,630
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$23.52
Median
$49.20
Senior-Level
$83.95
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
Bachelor's Degree
65.21%
Master's Degree
34.78%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
Assist scientists or engineers in the use of electronic, sonic, or nuclear measuring instruments in laboratory, exploration, and production activities to obtain data indicating resources such as metallic ore, minerals, gas, coal, or petroleum. Analyze mud and drill cuttings. Chart pressure, temperature, and other characteristics of wells or bore holes.
Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
Entry-Level
$42,012
Median
$49,166
Senior-Level
$81,384
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Entry-Level
$20.19
Median
$23.64
Senior-Level
$39.12
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
High school diploma or less
13.6%
Certificate
5.79%
Some college
4.91%
Associate Degree
18.27%
Bachelor's Degree
29.3%
Master's Degree
28.13%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more comprehensive list of course options and degree requirements, see the CLC college catalog.
Start at CLC and continue with a 4-year school to earn your bachelor's degree. CLC has partnerships with many colleges and universities, covering a wide range of programs.
Our Guaranteed Transfer Partnerships (GTAs) with a select number of schools guarantee admission to students who meet specific criteria.
Earth Science at CLC
Get the bigger picture
This transfer degree is just one possible way to study Earth Science. Get the bigger picture—degrees, credentials and extra options.
Complete the application form to begin your program.
After you apply, a Career and College Navigator (CCN) will reach out to answer your questions, guide your next steps and help you get enrolled. Explore steps to apply at CLC.
We offer multiple lab classes, there are hands-on activities in non-lab courses, students research and present real-world case studies of topics within the course.
Apply what you learn in class to real-time challenges using CLC’s first-rate Earth Science equipment. Study seismic activity using data obtained from the college’s seismograph. Use information taken from the college’s own weather station to study weather trends.
Students learn in small classes taught by passionate professors who excel in various scientific fields. Get individualized time with instructors who get to know you on a first-name basis—not a number.
Immerse yourself in a full understanding of the universe. Solve puzzles during hands-on lab activities. Apply the scientific acumen you gain to real-world situations.
Gain a scientific understanding of the many dynamic systems that affect the earth, as well as interactions among the systems:
geology, including core principles such as plate tectonics
meteorology, including extreme weather causes and impacts
astronomy, including the solar system, stellar evolution, the Milky Way and beyond
oceanography, including structure and evolution of the ocean basin, chemical and physical properties of ocean water, ecology and more
Yes—well, mostly. The courses in this program are offered in an online format and certain courses such as Computer Organization and Architecture require extensive time in a computer lab.
Attend class in the way that works best for your goals:
Virtual Live: Learn remotely in real time. Take classes taught live via Zoom.
Online: Have the flexibility to complete coursework without scheduled meetings while staying actively engaged in a fully online environment.
In-person: Keep your degree on track with classes that meet face-to-face, providing you with opportunities to interact in-person with faculty and peers.
Yes. There’s a distinct advantage to earning your associate degree—a 30% advantage. The Brookings Institution reports that employees with associate degrees earn 30% more on average than those with high school diplomas. Over a lifetime, the earnings of an associate degree recipient are roughly $170,000 higher than those of a high school graduate.
Yes! Researchers have looked at how community college students fare after transferring. The biggest marker for success? Finishing your associate degree before transferring. In fact, those students seem to do better at the 4-year than students who started at the 4-year.
The cost is based on recommended pathway credit hours. It includes in-district tuition and fees. It does not factor in the cost of books and materials. It does not account for financial aid (grants, loans, scholarships) that you may receive.
Some courses in this program are subject to variable tuition and course fees because they provide specialized experiences, instruction or technology/equipment.
Get a feel for life on campus when you register for a tour. We'd love to show you around. Oh, and bring family and friends along for the fun, if you want!
