What is the salary for a pro Paleontologist?

Question

Professional only please.

Answer 1

A top paleontologist, consulting for oil exploration, would be doing micro paleontology.  Specifically, looking at foraminiffera, to correlate strata.  He would be making on the order of 100 to 200 K per year.

The junior paleontologists who work for him, would be the "bug" pickers making less than 50K per year.  They really would be paid "piece work".  That is a certain amount for each sample "picked" of the "bugs".

Other paleontologist, if they can find work would work for museums at modest salaries.  

Another way to look at it is who needs to know and who would be willing to pay for the identification of a fossil, the age of the rocks they occur in, and the environment of deposition of those rocks.  

Answer 2

Anywhere from 60,000$->150,000$+. YOu have to be really famous and such to make a high salary as a paleontologist. However, those that just start make very little, anywhere from 30k->60k (which is the majority most likely)