Career · Science and research
Geologist
Studies rocks and looks for natural resources — from water to metals and oil.
Career overview
What a day looks like
For part of the year a geologist works in the field: they walk set routes, take samples, describe the rocks and make maps. The rest of the time they are in the lab and at the computer, putting the results together into a report.
Try it yourself this week
30 minutes
Ask a science question and check the answer in two sources
- Choose a question about chemistry, biology, physics or space that really interests you, for example: why does a vaccine protect you if you haven't had the disease yet?
- Write down your guess — what you think now, before you search.
- Find the answer in two different sources: a textbook, a popular science website, an encyclopedia. Write down where they agree and where they differ.
- Note which source you trust more and why, and how the answer differs from your guess.
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like digging down to the real explanation and comparing sources — or the first answer you find is enough for you.
30 minutes
Watch living things outside and take notes for 20 minutes
- Find a place near your home with something alive: a tree, birds, an anthill, a vegetable bed or a flower bed.
- Watch for 20 minutes and write down everything that changes: who flew in, what they're doing, how they behave.
- Ask yourself one question you don't know the answer to (for example, why birds land right here).
- Find the answer in any source and write down whether it matched your guess.
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you have the patience to watch living things for a long time, and enjoy looking for explanations of what you saw.
What you can do next
Next 3 months
Start a rock collection
Find 5 different stones near your home, describe their colour, hardness and weight, and try to identify them with a guidebook.
In six months
Find out what your region is rich in
Use your geography textbook or a reliable source to find out which natural resources are mined near you.
In a year
Ask someone who does this job
With your parents or a teacher, find someone who does this job and ask what their working day is like and what the hardest part is.
What it pays
Pay varies by region, experience and employer. The figures below are approximate ranges from public sources.
Notes on sources are in Russian, as in the original source.
In Kazakhstan
- All levelsfrom job ads
250,000–600,000 ₸ per month
varies in job ads: some take-home, some before tax · data: October 2026 · checked: October 2026
Выборка из 10 вакансий геологов (из 13 в выдаче hh.kz на 01.10.2026), не статистика. Типично 250–600 тыс. ₸; отдельные вахтовые вакансии — до 1 млн и больше.
Source: almaty.hh.kz (opens in a new tab)
Where to study
Notes on sources are in Russian, as in the original source.
Universities
You apply after grade 11, based on your UNT results.
- КБТУ (Казахстанско-Британский технический университет) (opens in a new tab)
Almaty
Геология и разведка месторождений полезных ископаемых (6B07202), School of Geology
after grade 11UNT: Mathematics + PhysicsГеологию преподают и другие вузы группы B071 (КазНИТУ имени Сатпаева, КарТУ имени Сагинова и др. — по данным агрегатора univision.kz).
The UNT, if you apply to university
Required subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy, Mathematical Literacy. Profile subjects for this career: Mathematics + Physics.
Programme group: B071 Горное дело и добыча полезных ископаемых. Checked: October 2026.
Source: National Testing Centre list (opens in a new tab)How to get into college
College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.
- Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab) - About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab) - There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university
The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.
- The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab) - Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
Courses and opportunities
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History of the career
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Well-known people in this field
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