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The national median salary for Geographers is $102,045 per year ($49.06/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $80,288 and $121,867 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $136,656 per year. There are approximately 1,400 geographers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-3.1%
Slower than average
Annual openings
100
per year, on avg
Workforce today
2K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 4 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
930
$110,010
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
150
$68,340
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
150
$75,590
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
60
$92,380
Wage range across top 5 industries: $68,340 to $110,010 (61% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$32.10
$66,768
P25
$38.60
$80,288
P50MEDIAN
$49.06
$102,045
P75
$58.59
$121,867
P90
$65.70
$136,656
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average geographers salary?
The national median salary for Geographers is $102,045 per year ($49.06/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $80,288 and $121,867 annually.
How much do top-earning geographers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Geographers is $136,656 per year ($65.70/hr). The 75th percentile is $121,867 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for geographers?
Entry-level Geographers (10th percentile) earn approximately $66,768 per year ($32.10/hr). The 25th percentile is $80,288 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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