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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

19-3092 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.


National estimates for Geographers
Industry profile for Geographers
Geographic profile for Geographers

National estimates for Geographers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Geographers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,360 1.5 % $ 42.77 $ 88,960 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Geographers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 27.61 $ 32.42 $ 42.74 $ 50.66 $ 58.20
Annual Wage (2) $ 57,430 $ 67,430 $ 88,900 $ 105,360 $ 121,060


Industry profile for Geographers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Geographers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Geographers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 890 0.04 $ 46.94 $ 97,640
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 130 0.00 $ 34.69 $ 72,160
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.84 $ 66,230
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 50 0.00 $ 32.49 $ 67,570
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 40 0.00 $ 33.90 $ 70,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 890 0.04 $ 46.94 $ 97,640
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.84 $ 66,230
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 40 0.00 $ 33.90 $ 70,520
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 130 0.00 $ 34.69 $ 72,160
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 50 0.00 $ 32.49 $ 67,570

Top paying industries for Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 890 0.04 $ 46.94 $ 97,640
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 130 (7) $ 34.69 $ 72,160
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 40 (7) $ 33.90 $ 70,520
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 50 (7) $ 32.49 $ 67,570
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.84 $ 66,230


Geographic profile for Geographers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Geographers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Geographers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of geographers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland 220 0.08 9.18 $ 47.45 $ 98,700
Texas 150 0.01 1.27 $ 33.74 $ 70,180
California 110 0.01 0.66 $ 45.05 $ 93,710
Colorado 100 0.04 3.90 $ 42.79 $ 89,000
Virginia 90 0.02 2.42 $ 48.49 $ 100,860


Map of location quotient of geographers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland 220 0.08 9.18 $ 47.45 $ 98,700
District of Columbia 30 0.04 4.75 $ 57.95 $ 120,530
Colorado 100 0.04 3.90 $ 42.79 $ 89,000
Virginia 90 0.02 2.42 $ 48.49 $ 100,860
Arizona 50 0.02 1.86 $ 37.27 $ 77,510


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 30 0.04 4.75 $ 57.95 $ 120,530
Virginia 90 0.02 2.42 $ 48.49 $ 100,860
Maryland 220 0.08 9.18 $ 47.45 $ 98,700
California 110 0.01 0.66 $ 45.05 $ 93,710
Pennsylvania 30 0.01 0.64 $ 43.11 $ 89,670



Map of employment of geographers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Geographers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 270 0.09 9.84 $ 50.13 $ 104,280
Austin-Round Rock, TX 120 0.10 11.03 $ 31.06 $ 64,590
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.65 $ 44.29 $ 92,130
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 1.28 $ 37.77 $ 78,570
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 30 0.02 2.62 $ 44.05 $ 91,620


Map of location quotient of geographers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Geographers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Austin-Round Rock, TX 120 0.10 11.03 $ 31.06 $ 64,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 270 0.09 9.84 $ 50.13 $ 104,280
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.65 $ 44.29 $ 92,130
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 30 0.02 2.62 $ 44.05 $ 91,620
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 1.28 $ 37.77 $ 78,570


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Geographers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 270 0.09 9.84 $ 50.13 $ 104,280
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.65 $ 44.29 $ 92,130
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 30 0.02 2.62 $ 44.05 $ 91,620
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30 0.01 1.28 $ 37.77 $ 78,570
Austin-Round Rock, TX 120 0.10 11.03 $ 31.06 $ 64,590


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023