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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
1,450 2.5 % $ 41.16 $ 85,620 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Geographers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 25.78 $ 31.79 $ 41.07 $ 49.36 $ 56.30
Annual Wage (2) $ 53,630 $ 66,130 $ 85,430 $ 102,660 $ 117,100


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) 910 0.04 $ 44.42 $ 92,390
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 200 0.01 $ 33.23 $ 69,110
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 30.05 $ 62,510
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 50 0.00 $ 42.90 $ 89,230
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 50 0.00 $ 43.22 $ 89,900

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) 910 0.04 $ 44.42 $ 92,390
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 200 0.01 $ 33.23 $ 69,110
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 30.05 $ 62,510
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 50 0.00 $ 43.22 $ 89,900
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 50 0.00 $ 42.90 $ 89,230

Top paying industries for Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 910 0.04 $ 44.42 $ 92,390
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 50 (7) $ 43.22 $ 89,900
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 50 (7) $ 42.90 $ 89,230
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 30 (7) $ 36.62 $ 76,160
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 200 0.01 $ 33.23 $ 69,110


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.





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 280 0.11 10.66 $ 44.33 $ 92,200
Texas 150 0.01 1.19 $ 30.75 $ 63,970
California 100 0.01 0.60 $ 46.54 $ 96,810
Virginia 80 0.02 2.00 (8) (8)
Colorado 70 0.03 2.66 $ 44.63 $ 92,840




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 280 0.11 10.66 $ 44.33 $ 92,200
Colorado 70 0.03 2.66 $ 44.63 $ 92,840
Minnesota 60 0.02 2.05 $ 34.31 $ 71,360
Virginia 80 0.02 2.00 (8) (8)
Arizona 60 0.02 2.00 $ 34.97 $ 72,750




Top paying states for Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 100 0.01 0.60 $ 46.54 $ 96,810
Colorado 70 0.03 2.66 $ 44.63 $ 92,840
Maryland 280 0.11 10.66 $ 44.33 $ 92,200
Massachusetts 50 0.02 1.56 $ 41.51 $ 86,330
Louisiana 30 0.02 1.72 $ 41.49 $ 86,310





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 310 0.10 9.91 $ 46.71 $ 97,160
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.09 9.00 $ 29.43 $ 61,210
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 60 0.04 3.68 $ 44.39 $ 92,330
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 50 0.03 2.70 $ 34.24 $ 71,230
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 50 0.04 3.73 $ 46.00 $ 95,680
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 50 0.02 1.72 $ 42.38 $ 88,140
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 30 0.02 1.54 $ 33.87 $ 70,450
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 30 0.02 1.58 $ 37.69 $ 78,400




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)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 310 0.10 9.91 $ 46.71 $ 97,160
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.09 9.00 $ 29.43 $ 61,210
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 50 0.04 3.73 $ 46.00 $ 95,680
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 60 0.04 3.68 $ 44.39 $ 92,330
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 50 0.03 2.70 $ 34.24 $ 71,230
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 50 0.02 1.72 $ 42.38 $ 88,140
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 30 0.02 1.58 $ 37.69 $ 78,400
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 30 0.02 1.54 $ 33.87 $ 70,450




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 310 0.10 9.91 $ 46.71 $ 97,160
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 50 0.04 3.73 $ 46.00 $ 95,680
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 60 0.04 3.68 $ 44.39 $ 92,330
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 50 0.02 1.72 $ 42.38 $ 88,140
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 30 0.02 1.58 $ 37.69 $ 78,400
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 50 0.03 2.70 $ 34.24 $ 71,230
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 30 0.02 1.54 $ 33.87 $ 70,450
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.09 9.00 $ 29.43 $ 61,210


About May 2020 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.

(8) Estimate not released.

(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 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021