Geographers Career, Salary and Skills
Geographers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $102,040 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 1,400. Wage data is published for 10 locations.
Occupation description
Study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Conduct research on physical aspects of a region, including land forms, climates, soils, plants, and animals, and conduct research on the spatial implications of human activities within a given area, including social characteristics, economic activities, and political organization, as well as researching interdependence between regions at scales ranging from local to global.
O*NET code
19-3092.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$102,040
Hourly median
$49.06
Employment
1,400
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.75 |
| Writing | 4.12 | 4.88 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Active Learning | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Science | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.38 | 3.62 |
Typical tasks
- Create and modify maps, graphs, or diagrams, using geographical information software and related equipment, and principles of cartography, such as coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
- Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
- Teach geography.
- Write and present reports of research findings.
- Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
- Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
- Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
- Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
Technology
- ACD Systems Canvas
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Caliper Maptitude
- Clark Labs IDRISI Andes
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI ArcIMS
- ESRI ArcInfo
- ESRI ArcView
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Geographic resources analysis support system GRASS
Geographers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Geographers Salary in Washington, DCMedian $118,290 · Employment 280
- Geographers Salary in MDMedian $114,920 · Employment 210
- Geographers Salary in TXMedian $79,170 · Employment 180
- Geographers Salary in VAMedian $108,020 · Employment 130
- Geographers Salary in Austin, TXMedian $76,000 · Employment 120
- Geographers Salary in CAMedian $114,460 · Employment 80
- Geographers Salary in ILMedian $92,640 · Employment 40
- Geographers Salary in WAMedian $112,260 · Employment 40
- Geographers Salary in MOMedian $102,040 · Employment 40
- Geographers Salary in Baltimore, MDMedian $104,770 · Employment 30
Related careers
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic TechniciansNational median $53,350
- Environmental EconomistsNational median $124,720
- Urban and Regional PlannersNational median $89,320
- SociologistsNational median $106,030
- Survey ResearchersNational median $69,460
- HydrologistsNational median $96,600
- Conservation ScientistsNational median $73,010
- HistoriansNational median $76,750
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.