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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

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)
1,460 3.9 % $ 44.45 $ 92,460 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Geographers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 28.78 $ 33.94 $ 43.69 $ 53.00 $ 61.03
Annual Wage (2) $ 59,850 $ 70,600 $ 90,880 $ 110,240 $ 126,940


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, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 940 0.04 $ 49.08 $ 102,090
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 160 0.01 $ 34.16 $ 71,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.89 $ 66,330
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 40 0.00 $ 34.10 $ 70,920

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 940 0.04 $ 49.08 $ 102,090
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 160 0.01 $ 34.16 $ 71,050
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.89 $ 66,330
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 40 0.00 $ 34.10 $ 70,920

Top paying industries for Geographers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 940 0.04 $ 49.08 $ 102,090
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (8) (8) $ 35.60 $ 74,050
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 160 0.01 $ 34.16 $ 71,050
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 40 (7) $ 34.10 $ 70,920
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 120 0.01 $ 31.89 $ 66,330


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 2023


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 10.95 $ 47.19 $ 98,150
Texas 140 0.01 1.08 $ 35.70 $ 74,250
California 110 0.01 0.62 $ 47.63 $ 99,060
Colorado 100 0.03 3.61 $ 45.36 $ 94,360
Virginia 90 0.02 2.37 $ 53.19 $ 110,640


Map of location quotient of geographers by state, May 2023


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 10.95 $ 47.19 $ 98,150
Colorado 100 0.03 3.61 $ 45.36 $ 94,360
Virginia 90 0.02 2.37 $ 53.19 $ 110,640
Utah 30 0.02 1.95 $ 39.78 $ 82,740
Arizona 60 0.02 1.90 $ 39.02 $ 81,170


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Geographers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 90 0.02 2.37 $ 53.19 $ 110,640
Washington 40 0.01 1.25 $ 48.64 $ 101,160
California 110 0.01 0.62 $ 47.63 $ 99,060
Maryland 280 0.11 10.95 $ 47.19 $ 98,150
Pennsylvania 40 0.01 0.67 $ 46.27 $ 96,250



Map of employment of geographers by area, May 2023


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 280 0.09 9.54 $ 52.05 $ 108,250
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.08 8.17 $ 32.24 $ 67,050
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 70 0.06 5.76 $ 40.87 $ 85,000
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.52 $ 45.17 $ 93,950


Map of location quotient of geographers by area, May 2023


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 280 0.09 9.54 $ 52.05 $ 108,250
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.08 8.17 $ 32.24 $ 67,050
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 70 0.06 5.76 $ 40.87 $ 85,000
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.52 $ 45.17 $ 93,950


Map of annual mean wages of geographers by area, May 2023


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 280 0.09 9.54 $ 52.05 $ 108,250
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 70 0.04 4.52 $ 45.17 $ 93,950
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 70 0.06 5.76 $ 40.87 $ 85,000
Austin-Round Rock, TX 100 0.08 8.17 $ 32.24 $ 67,050


About May 2023 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 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024