Geographers
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $102,045
- Projected change
- +2.7%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 2.2K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
45% of the workforce
Growing to 2.26K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What geographers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Teach geography.
- Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
- Write and present reports of research findings.
- Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
- Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
- Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
- Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
- Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
- Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment.
- Conduct field work at outdoor sites.
- Provide consulting services in fields such as resource development and management, business location and market area analysis, environmental hazards, regional cultural history, and urban social planning.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $66,768
- 25th percentile
- $80,288
- 50th percentile
- $102,045
- 75th percentile
- $121,867
- 90th percentile
- $136,656
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $102,045 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
60 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 45%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 30%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 20%
- Associate degree
- 5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01GIS Coordinators97 postings
- 02Geographers55 postings
- 03Cultural Resources Managers12 postings
- 04Geographic Information Systems Specialists9 postings
- 05Data Scientists6 postings
- 06Specialist Coordinators4 postings
- 07Physical Scientists3 postings
- 08Project Geoscientists3 postings
- 09Research Scientists3 postings
- 10Cartographers2 postings
- 11Data Scientists/Developers2 postings
- 12Environmental Scientists2 postings
- 13Field Construction Coordinators2 postings
- 14Store Manager Candidates2 postings
- 15911 Coordinators1 postings
- 16BIM Coordinators1 postings
- 17BIM/VDC Managers1 postings
- 18Clinical Research Scientists1 postings
- 19Clinical Scientists1 postings
- 20Compliance Coordinators1 postings
Top employers
- 01Conservation Legacy13 postings
- 02Acs Professional Staffing9 postings
- 03Actalent9 postings
- 04Motus Recruiting and Staffing6 postings
- 05Expedia Group4 postings
- 06Skywalk Global4 postings
- 07Swca Environmental Consultants4 postings
- 08Wiser4 postings
- 09Azad Technology Partners3 postings
- 10Enercon3 postings
- 11. Risk Management International2 postings
- 12Calibre Systems Incorporated2 postings
- 13City Of Blaine2 postings
- 14City Of Burlington, Nc2 postings
- 15City Of East Point2 postings
- 16City Of Riverside2 postings
- 17Conflux Systems2 postings
- 18DevCare Solutions2 postings
- 19M. A. Mortenson Company2 postings
- 20Metropolitan Council2 postings
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