In Friends, what job does Ross Geller have at the beginning of the series?

At the beginning of Friends, Ross Geller works as a paleontologist.

Ross’s profession reflects his long-standing interest in dinosaurs and prehistoric life. He is introduced as a museum employee and later works as a university professor, while continuing to be associated with paleontology throughout the series.

The show uses Ross’s career both for characterization and comedy. His enthusiasm for fossils and scientific terminology contrasts with the friends’ occasional impatience when he explains technical subjects. His professional knowledge also becomes part of jokes involving dinosaurs, museums, and his academic identity.

Paleontology is often confused with archaeology. Paleontologists study ancient life, including fossils and dinosaurs, whereas archaeologists study human cultures through material remains. Ross’s work is therefore specifically paleontological, not archaeological, even though both fields investigate the distant past.