SOC 19-3092 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
Geographers
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, geographers earned a median of $102,040 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 1,400 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $114,920 | $55.25 | 210 | 0.1 |
| California | $114,460 | $55.03 | 80 | 0.0 |
| Washington | $112,260 | $53.97 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Virginia | $108,020 | $51.93 | 130 | 0.0 |
| Missouri | $102,040 | $49.06 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Illinois | $92,640 | $44.54 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Texas | $79,170 | $38.06 | 180 | 0.0 |
| Colorado | Not published | Not published | 90 | 0.0 |
Pay by metro area
All 3 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $118,290 | $56.87 | 280 | 0.1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $104,770 | $50.37 | 30 | 0.0 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $76,000 | $36.54 | 120 | 0.1 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.