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Role hub · Geographers

Geographer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of geographers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$102,040
Hourly
$49.06
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Geographers study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. The median pay is $102,040 a year ($49.06 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (45% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$102,040
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
1,400
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
45% of workers
Key facts

Geographers at a glance

  • Geographers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $102,040 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for geographers in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of geographers in the United States to decline 2.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 1,400 people were employed as geographers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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The work

What geographers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
  2. Write and present reports of research findings.
  3. Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
  4. Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
  5. Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
  6. Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
  7. Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
  8. Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all geographer jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals75.4% of all jobs in this occupation · -4.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $105,110
  2. Educational services; state, local, and private12.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $76,330
  3. Professional, scientific, and technical services5.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +9.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $101,630

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Reading ComprehensioncoreWritingcoreSpeakingcoreCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision MakingActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingSystems Analysis

Knowledge areas: Geography, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training, Sociology and Anthropology, Mathematics.

Tools and technology

Software geographers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareIn demand
  • ESRI ArcGIS softwareGeographic information systemIn demand
  • Geographic information system GIS softwareGeographic information systemIn demand
  • Geographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information systemIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • IBM SPSS StatisticsAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • SASAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • The MathWorks MATLABAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • ACD Systems CanvasGraphics or photo imaging software
  • Adobe DreamweaverWeb page creation and editing software
  • Caliper MaptitudeGeographic information system
  • Clark Labs IDRISI AndesMap creation software

Also called: Earth Observations Scientist, GIS Coordinator (Geographic Information Systems Coordinator), GIS Geographer (Geographic Information Systems Geographer), GIS Physical Scientist (Geographic Information Systems Physical Scientist), Scientist.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.