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 pay
- $102,040
- Doing it now
- 1,500
- By 2035
- Down 2.1%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- 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.
- Write and present reports of research findings.
- Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
- Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
- Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
- Teach geography.
- Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Geography and CartographySee 302 colleges that teach it
- Security Science and TechnologySee 201 colleges that teach it
- Geography and Environmental StudiesSee 39 colleges that teach it
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and HumanitiesSee 36 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Hands-on and practical
Creative and expressive
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $102,040 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.