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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Writing
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Active Learning
Judgment and Decision Making
Complex Problem Solving

Key knowledge

Geography
English Language
Computers and Electronics
Education and Training
Sociology and Anthropology
Mathematics
History and Archeology
Law and Government

What the work involves

Create and modify maps, graphs, or diagrams, using geographical information software and related equipment, and principles of cartography, such as coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
Write and present reports of research findings.
Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
Teach geography.
Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
Conduct field work at outdoor sites.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Realistic, Artistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (45% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (35%)
On-the-job training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (25%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Geographers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 96% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others about half the time”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 63% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Teamwork	Very low	Lower on teamwork than 83% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	High	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 73% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 76% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 79% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 85% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 97% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions