Geography Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1064.00United States

Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$84,440

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+9.1%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
Doctoral degree or more

80.7% of the workforce

Employment
1.78M jobs

Growing to 1.94M by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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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.

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The work

What geography teachers, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as urbanization, environmental systems, and cultural geography.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  • Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
  • Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
  • Perform spatial analysis and modeling using geographic information system techniques.
  • Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
  • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$49,147
25th percentile
$62,814
50th percentile
$84,440
75th percentile
$118,952
90th percentile
$175,749

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $84,440 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.1%faster than average
20251,782,325 jobs
2035 projected1,944,527 jobs

162,202 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more
80.7%
Master's or Professional degree
19.3%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Social Sciences
  • Talent Management
  • Meteorology
  • Physical Geography
  • Syllabus Development
  • Oceanography
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Educational Assessment
  • Human Geography
  • Accounting
  • Student Learning Outcomes
  • Student Engagement
  • Blended Learning
  • Instructing
  • Anthropology
  • Distance Learning
  • Curriculum Development
  • Earth Science

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.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
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.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Adjunct Faculties159 postings
  2. 02Geography Teachers32 postings
  3. 03Geography Instructors25 postings
  4. 04Geographers23 postings
  5. 05Adjunct Instructors22 postings
  6. 06Accounting Adjunct Faculties20 postings
  7. 07Adjuncts17 postings
  8. 08Environmental Science Lecturers10 postings
  9. 09Geology Instructors8 postings
  10. 10Science Faculties8 postings
  11. 11Faculty Interns7 postings
  12. 12Anthropology Adjunct Professors6 postings
  13. 13Faculties6 postings
  14. 14Faculty Lecturers6 postings
  15. 15Professors of Geography6 postings
  16. 16Adjunct College Professors5 postings
  17. 17Department Chairs5 postings
  18. 18Environmental Sustainability Managers5 postings
  19. 19Accounting Faculties4 postings
  20. 20Adjunct Accounting Instructors4 postings

Top employers

  1. 01College of the Sequoias50 postings
  2. 02Tennessee Board of Regents31 postings
  3. 03Alamo Colleges District18 postings
  4. 04Virginia Community College System17 postings
  5. 05Metropolitan Community College Area12 postings
  6. 06Northwest Vista College11 postings
  7. 07Pellissippi State Community College11 postings
  8. 08Blue Ridge Community College10 postings
  9. 09Framingham State University10 postings
  10. 10Herc9 postings
  11. 11Foothill-De Anza Community College District8 postings
  12. 12Foothill-De Anza Foundation8 postings
  13. 13Lone Star College System8 postings
  14. 14California State University-Chancellors Office7 postings
  15. 15California State University-Fullerton7 postings
  16. 16Mount Wachusett Community College7 postings
  17. 17Victor Valley College6 postings
  18. 18Appalachian State University5 postings
  19. 19California State University-Stanislaus5 postings
  20. 20DePaul University5 postings

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