Geographer

Explore This Path

Explore Earth's diverse landscapes and cultures through research and analysis.
Impact global understanding by studying physical and cultural interactions.
Use cutting-edge tech to create maps and reveal geographic insights.

💰 Earn $83K-$117K

📚 Bachelor Degree

⏱️ 48 MONTH TRAINING

📈 2.5% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

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.

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.
Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
Write and present reports of research findings.
Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
Teach geography.

Scoop

Minimum Education

Bachelor Degree

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

Over 4 years

Job Openings

100 Annually

Median Earnings

$96,970 in California

$90,880 Nationally

$25K

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Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Being creative or artistic
Thinking and problem solving
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Learning
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Science

You value 🙏

Accomplishing things
Having freedom
Job security

Deep Dive

Geographer

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years