| Portrait | Name | Post | Took office | Left office | Division | Ref(s) |
| - | Douglass Houghton | State Geologist | 1837 | 1845 (death) | First Geological Survey | - |
| Office suspended (1845–1859) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | Alexander Winchell | State Geologist | March 9, 1859 | 1862 | Second Geological Survey | - |
| Office suspended (1862–1869) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | Alexander Winchell | State Geologist | April 24, 1869 | April 17, 1871 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Carl Rominger | State Geologist | 1871 | 1885 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Charles E. Wright | State Geologist | 1885 | 1888 (death) | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Marshman E. Wadsworth | State Geologist | 1888 | 1893 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Lucius L. Hubbard | State Geologist | July 3, 1893 | 1899 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Alfred Church Lane | State Geologist | 1899 | 1909 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Roland C. Allen | State Geologist | 1909 | 1919 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Richard A. Smith | State Geologist | 1919 | 1920 | Third Geological Survey Michigan Geological and Biological Survey | - |
| - | Richard A. Smith | Division Chief and State Geologist | 1920 | 1946 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Conservation | - |
| - | Gerald E. Eddy | Division Chief and State Geologist | 1946 | 1951 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Conservation | - |
| - | Franklin G. Pardee | Division Chief and State Geologist | 1951 | 1952 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Conservation | - |
| - | William L. Daoust | Acting State Geologist | 1952 | 1954 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Conservation | - |
| - | William L. Daoust | Division Chief and State Geologist | 1954 | 1964 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Conservation | - |
| - | Gerald E. Eddy | State Geologist | 1964 | 1971 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Natural Resources | - |
| - | Arthur E. Slaughter | State Geologist | 1971 | 1976 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Natural Resources | - |
| - | Arthur E. Slaughter | State Geologist | 1976 | 1977 | Third Geological Survey Division of Geology, Department of Natural Resources | - |
| - | Arthur E. Slaughter | State Geologist | 1977 | 1981 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Natural Resources | - |
| - | R. Thomas Segall | State Geologist | 1981 | 1996 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Natural Resources | - |
| - | Harold R. Fitch | State Geologist | 1996 | 2002 | Third Geological Survey Geological Survey Division, Department of Environmental Quality | - |
| - | Harold R. Fitch | State Geologist | 2002 | 2004 | Third Geological Survey Geological and Land Management Division, Department of Environmental Quality | - |
| - | Harold R. Fitch | State Geologist | 2004 | 2011 | Third Geological Survey Office of Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Quality | - |
| - | Alan E. Kehew | Director | 2011 | 2013 | Third Geological Survey WMU Department of Geosciences | - |
| - | John A. Yellich | Director | 2013 | — | Third Geological Survey WMU Department of Geosciences | - |