Geological Exploration Engineers and Technicians Green occupation

How to become a Hydrogeological, Engineering and Environmental Geology Engineer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 水工环地质工程技术人员

Surveys, monitors and assesses hydrogeology, engineering geology and environmental geology, and surveys, monitors, assesses and remedies geological hazards.

Main tasks

Surveying and assessing the hydrogeology of regions and mining areas, exploring and assessing groundwater, geothermal, brine and mineral water resources, and monitoring changes in groundwater
Surveying and assessing regional engineering geology, town planning and building land, and construction sites
Surveying, monitoring and assessing environmental geology
Surveying, monitoring, assessing and remedying geological hazards
Writing technical standards, quality standards and codes for hydrogeological, engineering and environmental geology
Giving technical advice on hydrogeological, engineering and environmental geology

Ways in

University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 105 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Geological Engineering (0814); Water Conservancy (0811); majors such as Geological Engineering, Exploration Technology and Engineering, Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Resource Exploration Engineering, Groundwater Science and Engineering, Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
University: Science degrees, Offered by 99 universities in China Related undergraduate subject classes in the Ministry of Education catalogue (2025): Geology (0709); majors such as Geology, Geo-information Science and Technology, Geochemistry, Palaeontology. Matched to the occupation by Peernovo.
Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Coalfield Geological Exploration (420105). Vocational major 420105 Coalfield Geological Exploration (煤田地质勘查), 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: Digital Technology Applications in Mining.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Ecological Geological Survey (420103). Vocational major 420103 Ecological Geological Survey (生态地质调查), 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: Environmental Geological Engineering (420208). Vocational major 420208 Environmental Geological Engineering (环境地质工程), 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 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: Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (420202). Vocational major 420202 Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (水文与工程地质), 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: Urban Geological Investigation (420209). Vocational major 420209 Urban Geological Investigation (城市地质勘查), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Geological Hazard Investigation and Remediation Construction (620206). Vocational major 620206 Geological Hazard Investigation and Remediation Construction (地质灾害调查与治理施工), 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¥79,500 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥55,200 to CN¥123,700. One in ten earn less than CN¥42,000 and one in ten more than CN¥192,300.
This is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel, 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¥116,181 a year (2025), middle half CN¥77,050 to CN¥175,622.
This is the figure for the mid group Engineering and Technical Personnel, 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 Engineering and Technical Personnel holds 2.35% of everyone employed in China; 17.1% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
48.9% are under 35, 45.1% are 35 to 54 and 6% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 35 to 39.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Hydrogeological, Engineering and Environmental Geology Engineer?

Ways in include: Engineering degrees; Science degrees; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Coalfield Geological Exploration (420105); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Ecological Geological Survey (420103).

How much does a Hydrogeological, Engineering and Environmental Geology Engineer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥79,500 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 Engineering and Technical Personnel. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥116,181 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Hydrogeological, Engineering and Environmental Geology Engineer?

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
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Bureau of Statistics: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China, 2022 edition (public consultation draft) (2022 public consultation draft (1,636 occupations; final edition 1,639)), 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