2027 What Does a Paleontologist Do: Responsibilities, Requirements, and Salary

Imed Bouchrika, PhD

by Imed Bouchrika, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

What is a paleontologist?

A paleontologist is a scientist who studies the history of life on Earth through fossils. Those fossils may include bones, shells, teeth, leaves, pollen, spores, footprints, burrows, and microscopic organisms preserved in rock. The goal is not simply to find impressive specimens, but to use fossil evidence to understand evolution, extinction, ancient climates, and past ecosystems.

Dinosaurs are the most familiar part of paleontology, but they represent only one branch of the field. Many paleontologists never work on dinosaurs at all. Some study ancient oceans, some focus on fossil plants, and others analyze microscopic fossils that help date rock layers or reconstruct environmental change.

Major areas within paleontology

  • Vertebrate paleontology: The study of animals with backbones, including dinosaurs, ancient mammals, reptiles, fish, and amphibians.
  • Invertebrate paleontology: The study of animals without backbones, such as trilobites, ammonites, corals, and mollusks.
  • Paleobotany: The study of fossil plants, pollen, seeds, and forests to understand ancient landscapes and climates.
  • Micropaleontology: The study of tiny fossils, often useful for dating rock layers and interpreting subsurface geology.
  • Paleoecology: The study of how ancient organisms interacted with one another and with their environments.

In practice, paleontology sits at the intersection of geology and biology. Strong paleontologists understand both the organisms they study and the rocks that preserve them.

Table of contents

What does a paleontologist do during fieldwork?

Fieldwork is the part of paleontology most people picture first, but it is less about dramatic digging and more about careful scientific documentation. A field project usually begins before anyone picks up a tool. Paleontologists study geological maps, previous research, satellite imagery, and rock formations to identify areas likely to preserve fossils of the right age and type.

Once a promising site is located, the team surveys the area, records surface finds, maps the site, and determines whether excavation is justified. If fossils are collected, every specimen must be documented in context. Where the fossil was found, which rock layer contained it, its orientation, and its relationship to nearby fossils can be as scientifically important as the fossil itself.

Common fieldwork tasks

  • Prospecting: Searching exposed rock layers for fossil material and identifying sites worth documenting or excavating.
  • Mapping: Recording fossil locations, stratigraphic position, site boundaries, and surrounding geology.
  • Excavation: Removing overlying sediment and rock with appropriate tools, from shovels and rock hammers to brushes and dental picks.
  • Stabilization: Applying consolidants or protective materials when fossils are fragile.
  • Jacket preparation: Wrapping larger specimens in plaster jackets so they can be transported safely to a lab.
  • Field notes: Keeping accurate written, photographic, and spatial records so the find has scientific value after it leaves the ground.

The reality of field conditions

Fieldwork is often seasonal and physically demanding. Digs may take place in remote areas with heat, cold, wind, steep terrain, limited facilities, and long days of repetitive work. A successful field paleontologist needs patience, stamina, and respect for safety procedures, land access rules, and fossil collection regulations.

Practical land-reading skills also help. Understanding topography, drainage, soil exposure, erosion patterns, and rock layers can make fieldwork more effective. Even training from areas such as landscaping technology certification courses online can reinforce useful observation skills related to terrain and surface conditions.

For many paleontologists, fieldwork is rewarding because it connects scientific questions to real places. Still, it is only one part of the job. A fossil found in the field becomes meaningful only after it is prepared, analyzed, compared, and published.

What work happens in a paleontology lab?

The lab is where fossils are transformed from collected specimens into usable scientific evidence. A fossil may arrive from the field inside a plaster jacket, still surrounded by rock. Before researchers can study it closely, trained staff often spend weeks, months, or longer preparing it.

Fossil preparation is precise work. Preparators remove the surrounding rock matrix using small tools, microscopes, air scribes, adhesives, and stabilizing materials. The goal is to expose the fossil without damaging it or losing information. In some cases, preparation choices can affect what future researchers are able to study, so careful documentation matters.

What happens after preparation

  • Identification: Researchers compare the fossil with known specimens to determine what organism it may represent.
  • Measurement: Important structures are measured and described for analysis and publication.
  • Imaging: CT scanners, photography, microscopy, and 3D modeling may be used to examine internal and external anatomy.
  • Comparative anatomy: Fossils are compared with extinct and living organisms to understand relationships, function, and evolution.
  • Data analysis: Measurements, locations, ages, and anatomical features are organized and analyzed to test research questions.
  • Curation: Specimens are cataloged and stored so other researchers can verify and build on the work.

Why lab work matters

Fieldwork may produce the discovery, but lab work produces much of the science. A fossil’s shape, chemistry, age, microscopic structure, and geological context can reveal how an organism lived, how it moved, what environment it occupied, and how it relates to other species.

Modern paleontology labs are not just storage rooms. They may use digital reconstruction, chemical analysis, high-resolution imaging, statistical modeling, and biomechanical methods. Students who imagine paleontology as only outdoor excavation should understand that many professional hours are spent indoors, working with specimens, data, software, collections records, and scientific literature.

Key Findings

  • Paleontology is a research-heavy science career. Fieldwork is important, but much of the job involves lab analysis, data interpretation, writing, teaching, collections work, and publication.
  • The field is small and competitive. With only about 1,034 professional paleontologists in the entire United States, students should plan carefully and build strong academic and research credentials.
  • Graduate education is usually necessary. A bachelor’s degree can start the pathway, but many independent research, faculty, and senior museum positions expect a Ph.D.
  • Salary varies by role and employer. According to Payscale for 2027, the average annual base salary for a paleontologist in the U.S. is $79,193, but actual earnings depend on experience, specialization, location, and employer type.
  • Useful skills go beyond fossil identification. Geology, anatomy, statistics, GIS, scientific writing, fossil preparation, imaging, and collaboration all matter.
  • Specialization shapes opportunity. Vertebrate paleontology is well known, but areas such as micropaleontology, paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, paleoecology, and quantitative paleobiology may offer different research and career paths.
  • Hands-on experience is essential. Museum volunteering, field schools, lab work, amateur societies, and undergraduate research can help students decide whether paleontology fits their goals and temperament.

Other Things You Should Know About Becoming a Paleontologist

What academic qualifications are typically required to become a paleontologist in 2027?

In 2027, aspiring paleontologists generally need a bachelor's degree in geology, biology, or a related field. Advancing in this field typically requires a master's degree or Ph.D., specializing in paleontology, to secure research or academic positions.

What professional fieldwork permits do paleontologists need to collect fossils on public land?

On U.S. federal public land, paleontologists usually need a permit from the land-managing agency, such as the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, or U.S. Forest Service. Collecting vertebrate fossils often requires an approved research proposal, site documentation, and curation of specimens in an authorized repository.