Geographers (2026 stats)
TL;DR
The national workforce is about 1,380 geographers. Projections imply about 0.5% annual growth; much hiring sits in federal, state, and local government, including state and local government schools and hospitals and the u.s. postal service (oews designation).
Key Statistics
Geographers: what the data shows
Common questions about geographers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a geographers?
Geographers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-3092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,380 workers.
What does a geographers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a geographers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $97,200 (May 2024 in our extract).
What education do you need?
For Geographers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Geography, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is geographers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 2.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 5.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 1,380.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do geographerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 1,380 | 16.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,250 | 15.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,110 | 13.6% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,110 | 13.6% |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 950 | 11.6% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 950 | 11.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Geographers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Geographers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,380 Workforce in 2023
The Geographers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Geographers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$N/A Average Wage
In 2023, Geographers earned an average of $N/A.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Geographers.
Salary distribution for Geographers.
Employment Growth Projections
0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
287 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.5%
294 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 5.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Geographers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Geographers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Geographers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Geographers.
Wage Trends by Industry
Wage trend data by industry is not available for this occupation.
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Geographers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Geographers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- MD: 260 employees, $104,810 avg wage
- TX: 170 employees, $80,670 avg wage
- CO: 90 employees, $102,600 avg wage
- IL: 50 employees, $91,770 avg wage
- AZ: 40 employees, $90,740 avg wage
- MO: 40 employees, $92,450 avg wage
- PA: 40 employees, $97,760 avg wage
- WA: 30 employees, $114,410 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Geographers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 270 employees, $114,480 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 120 employees, $73,470 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 60 employees, $91,980 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 60 employees, $103,690 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Geographers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Geographers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Geographers in 2023 was 1,380 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Geographers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Geographers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Geographers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Geographers in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Geographers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Geographers workers.
Education level distribution for Geographers.
Skills
Geographers need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Geographers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Geographers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Geographers include Geography, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training, Sociology and Anthropology.
Knowledge areas required for Geographers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Geographers include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Geographers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Geographers.
Daily Activities
Geographers spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Geographers.
About
Geographers
The average yearly wage for Geographers was $N/A in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3092 - Geographers
Insights and Analysis
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,380 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.