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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
1,440 4.7 % $ 41.70 $ 86,740 1.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Geographers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 25.68 $ 31.13 $ 40.97 $ 49.07 $ 56.91
Annual Wage (2) $ 53,410 $ 64,740 $ 85,220 $ 102,060 $ 118,380


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) 920 0.04 $ 45.16 $ 93,940
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140 0.01 $ 34.45 $ 71,650
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 110 0.00 $ 34.28 $ 71,300
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 80 0.01 $ 34.10 $ 70,920
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60 0.00 $ 32.28 $ 67,150

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) 920 0.04 $ 45.16 $ 93,940
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 80 0.01 $ 34.10 $ 70,920
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140 0.01 $ 34.45 $ 71,650
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 110 0.00 $ 34.28 $ 71,300
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 60 0.00 $ 32.28 $ 67,150

Top paying industries for Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 920 0.04 $ 45.16 $ 93,940
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (8) (8) $ 37.59 $ 78,180
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 140 0.01 $ 34.45 $ 71,650
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 110 (7) $ 34.28 $ 71,300
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 80 0.01 $ 34.10 $ 70,920


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 2021


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 240 0.10 9.37 $ 44.72 $ 93,010
Texas 140 0.01 1.15 $ 33.45 $ 69,580
California 100 0.01 0.60 $ 43.38 $ 90,230
Colorado 100 0.04 3.63 $ 42.51 $ 88,410
Arizona 90 0.03 3.14 $ 33.85 $ 70,410


Map of location quotient of geographers by state, May 2021


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 240 0.10 9.37 $ 44.72 $ 93,010
Colorado 100 0.04 3.63 $ 42.51 $ 88,410
Arizona 90 0.03 3.14 $ 33.85 $ 70,410
Virginia 80 0.02 2.16 (8) (8)
Louisiana 30 0.02 1.88 $ 40.25 $ 83,730


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 40 0.01 1.08 $ 45.80 $ 95,270
Maryland 240 0.10 9.37 $ 44.72 $ 93,010
California 100 0.01 0.60 $ 43.38 $ 90,230
Colorado 100 0.04 3.63 $ 42.51 $ 88,410
Pennsylvania 40 0.01 0.67 $ 42.48 $ 88,360



Map of employment of geographers by area, May 2021


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 290 0.10 9.69 $ 48.35 $ 100,570
Austin-Round Rock, TX 120 0.11 10.47 $ 31.52 $ 65,550
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.05 4.58 $ 43.12 $ 89,690
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 50 0.02 2.16 $ 36.00 $ 74,880
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 40 0.03 3.11 $ 37.52 $ 78,050
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 40 0.01 1.37 $ 33.27 $ 69,200


Map of location quotient of geographers by area, May 2021


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 0.11 10.47 $ 31.52 $ 65,550
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 290 0.10 9.69 $ 48.35 $ 100,570
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.05 4.58 $ 43.12 $ 89,690
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 40 0.03 3.11 $ 37.52 $ 78,050
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 50 0.02 2.16 $ 36.00 $ 74,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 40 0.01 1.37 $ 33.27 $ 69,200


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by area, May 2021


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 290 0.10 9.69 $ 48.35 $ 100,570
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.05 4.58 $ 43.12 $ 89,690
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 40 0.03 3.11 $ 37.52 $ 78,050
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 50 0.02 2.16 $ 36.00 $ 74,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 40 0.01 1.37 $ 33.27 $ 69,200
Austin-Round Rock, TX 120 0.11 10.47 $ 31.52 $ 65,550


About May 2021 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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022