Geological Survey Workers

How to become a Geological Laboratory Technician

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 地质实验员

Also called: Geological Sampler, Geological Sample Preparer, Rock and Mineral Identification Technician, Laboratory Testing Technician

Collects and prepares samples of rock, soil, ore and stream sediment, and observes, tests, analyses and identifies them.

Main tasks

Collecting rock, ore, soil and stream sediment samples in the field
Rough panning, fine panning and magnetic separation of heavy mineral samples with panning equipment and tools, splitting minerals into strongly magnetic, electromagnetic and heavy fractions
Making polished sections and thin sections with cutting, grinding and polishing machines
Crushing, sieving, mixing and splitting samples with preparation equipment to make analytical samples, and filling in preparation quality records
Making special samples such as liquids and gases with special preparation methods and modern separation and concentration techniques
Examining rock and ore thin sections and polished sections under optical and electron microscopes
Testing samples with spectrometers, mass spectrometers, chromatographs and other instruments
Recording test and identification results, analysing images and data, working out the make up of rocks and minerals and writing reports
Maintaining laboratory instruments and equipment

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Geological Hazard Investigation and Prevention (420207). Vocational major 420207 Geological Hazard Investigation and Prevention (地质灾害调查与防治), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Geological Survey and Mineral Prospecting (420102). Vocational major 420102 Geological Survey and Mineral Prospecting (地质调查与矿产普查), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Geophysical Exploration Technology (420206). Vocational major 420206 Geophysical Exploration Technology (地球物理勘探技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Mineral Geological Exploration (420104). Vocational major 420104 Mineral Geological Exploration (矿产地质勘查), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Real Estate Data Collection and Database Building.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Rock and Mineral Analysis and Identification (420106). Vocational major 420106 Rock and Mineral Analysis and Identification (岩矿分析与鉴定), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Digital Technology Applications in Mining.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Geological Survey and Prospecting (620102). Vocational major 620102 Geological Survey and Prospecting (地质调查与找矿), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥67,400 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥49,200 to CN¥96,500. One in ten earn less than CN¥38,000 and one in ten more than CN¥140,900.
This is the figure for the mid group Technical Support Services Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥81,552 a year (2025), middle half CN¥62,000 to CN¥114,247.
This is the figure for the mid group Technical Support Services Workers, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Technical Support Services Workers holds 0.75% of everyone employed in China; 36.7% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
64.4% are under 35, 33.1% are 35 to 54 and 2.5% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 30 to 34.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Geological Laboratory Technician?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Geological Hazard Investigation and Prevention (420207); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Geological Survey and Mineral Prospecting (420102).

How much does a Geological Laboratory Technician earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥67,400 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Technical Support Services Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥81,552 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Geological Laboratory Technician?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026