The average salary for a geographer in the United States is $92,460, but the range typically falls between $70,600 and $110,240. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $44.45, with a range between $33.94 and $53.
There are approximately 1,460 people employed as a geographer in the United States. With Maryland, Texas, California employing the highest number of geographers.The state with the best pay for a geographer is Virginia, with an average annual salary of $110,640, while Texas has the lowest average annual salary of $74,250.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $59,850 | $28.78 |
| 25th Percentile | $70,600 | $33.94 |
| Median | $90,880 | $43.69 |
| 75th Percentile | $110,240 | $53 |
| 90th Percentile | $126,940 | $61.03 |
The salary of a geographer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a geographer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for geographers are Virginia, Washington, Maryland, California, Colorado while the worst states are Texas, Utah, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $53,860 | $81,170 | $116,710 |
| California | $64,710 | $99,060 | $129,810 |
| Colorado | $56,710 | $94,360 | $127,280 |
| Illinois | $59,850 | $86,860 | $142,650 |
| Maryland | $64,510 | $98,150 | $126,940 |
| Minnesota | $68,160 | $88,750 | $116,810 |
| Missouri | $62,820 | $89,100 | $109,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,750 | $96,250 | $132,290 |
| Texas | $54,000 | $74,250 | $104,810 |
| Utah | $51,650 | $82,740 | $110,240 |
| Virginia | $67,120 | $110,640 | $145,600 |
| Washington | $55,810 | $101,160 | $137,340 |
Even between cities, the salary of a geographer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for geographers is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, DC with an average salary of $108,250.
Areas with highest average salaries for geographers
The number of geographers in the United States has been increasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of geographers has increased by 10. On average, the number of geographers has been increasing by 0.2% each year. The salary of geographers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of geographers has increased by $6,840. On average, the salary of geographers has been increasing by 2.0% each year.
Geographers are part of the life, physical, and social science occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for geographers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all life, physical, and social science occupations jobs here.
$90,430 per year
$73,160 per year
$86,710 per year
$70,680 per year
$119,050 per year
$120,310 per year
