What the work involves, what it pays, and grounded tasks, skills, tools, and experience you can choose from.
Also called economic geographer, geographic information systems geographer, gis geographer and physical geographer.
$102,040
Median pay a year
1,400
People do this work
6
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A Geographer resume, filled in
Common skills that can help you remember what you used on the job.
Collecting geographical data
Conducting anthropological research
Developing scientific software
Collecting archival data
Compiling geographic data
Preparing maps
Preparing scientific reports
Instructing college students in social sciences
Advising on business operations
Every line comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Geographer
Summary
Geographer studying the Earth's surface by analyzing physical and cultural phenomena, creating maps and diagrams, and conducting field research to support geographic information systems for various sectors
Experience
Geographer
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Created and modified maps, graphs, and diagrams using geographical information software and principles of cartography
Gathered and compiled geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, and satellite imagery
Analyzed geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, and global scales
Developed, operated, and maintained geographical information computer systems, including hardware and software
Conducted field work at outdoor sites to collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas
Provided geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors
Wrote and presented reports of research findings on economic, political, and cultural characteristics of regions
Instructing college students in social sciences, Advising on business operations
Tools and software
Autodesk AutoCAD, ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems, Python, Structured query language SQL
Open to
On site, Remote
Education
Bachelor's Degree Your college, Year
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What to put on a Geographer resume
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Created and modified maps using GIS softwareGathered and compiled geographic data from various sourcesTaught geography to students of different levelsWrote and presented reports on research findingsAnalyzed geographic distributions of cultural phenomenaConducted field work at various outdoor sites
becomes
On your resume
Created and modified maps using GIS software to visualize geographic data and trends
Taught geography to students of various levels, adapting lessons to meet diverse learning needs
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Add what insights or decisions came from your maps
The line
Created and modified maps using GIS software to visualize geographic data, helping improve urban planning decisions
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Helped improve urban planning decisionsGuided conservation efforts in local areasSupported community development projects
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Mention if you received positive feedback or improved student performance
The line
Taught geography to students of various levels, adapting lessons to meet diverse learning needs
Mention if you received positive feedback or improved student performance
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Students showed increased interest in geographyReceived positive evaluations from studentsImproved test scores in geography classes
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The work itself
What a Geographer does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Geographer make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$80,290
Median
$102,040
75th percentile
$121,870
About 1,400 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
CA
$97,680
$114,460
$130,850
IL
$64,150
$92,640
$105,370
MD
$84,590
$114,920
$128,610
MO
$83,390
$102,040
$115,920
TX
$69,580
$79,170
$96,640
VA
$81,230
$108,020
$132,620
WA
$89,270
$112,260
$124,130
Other names
Other names for this job
economic geographer, geographic information systems geographer, gis geographer, physical geographer, political geographer, biogeographer, cultural resources specialist, earth observations scientist, geographic information systems coordinator, geographic information systems physical scientist, geomorphologist, gis coordinator.
Below are the tasks a Geographer job is made of. Choose the ones you have really done. There is no wrong answer here, and you can change any of it later.
Which of these tasks have you actually done?
4 chosen. Rung never adds a task you did not choose.
You can already claim 4 of the 9 tasks this job is made of.
What you have not done yet. Compiling geographic data, Preparing maps, Preparing scientific reports
Your resume, already started
Geographer
Collecting geographical data
Conducting anthropological research
Developing scientific software
Collecting archival data
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This page is about the occupation Geographers. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.