Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1064) earn a median $97,590 a year in the United States, with 3,330 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What geography teachers, postsecondary do
Geography teachers teach geography at the college level, including topics such as urbanization, environmental systems, and cultural geography, and alternate titles point to specialties in cartography and geographic information systems. They prepare syllabi and other course materials, lecture, lead classroom discussions, compile and grade examinations, and evaluate assignments and papers. Faculty on research tracks conduct research and publish their findings in journals, books, or electronic media. Teachers of earth sciences such as geology and of environmental science have their own categories. Titles run from adjunct instructor to assistant, associate, and full professor. Like other college faculty, they keep attendance and grade records and stay current by reading the literature, talking with colleagues, and taking part in professional organizations. The occupation covers teachers primarily engaged in teaching as well as those who combine teaching with research.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Cartography Professor, Cartography Teacher, College Faculty Member.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,330 |
| Annual | $52,550 | $74,690 | $97,590 | $123,900 | $165,460 | $102,350 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where geography teachers, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.02 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $70,410 | $112,980 | $146,040 | $192,800 | $250,700 | $155,320 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.09 | 4.33 |
| Annual | $37,990 | $65,270 | $113,500 | $171,540 | $190,300 | $117,720 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.13 | 6.15 |
| Annual | $67,250 | $103,710 | $107,790 | $110,030 | $126,890 | $104,880 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.02 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $63,640 | $79,790 | $105,470 | $135,670 | $165,010 | $110,250 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.04 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $81,370 | $97,830 | $103,430 | $132,230 | $200,270 | $126,310 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.02 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $70,410 | $112,980 | $146,040 | $192,800 | $250,700 | $155,320 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 220 | 0.04 | 1.67 |
| Annual | $50,300 | $79,590 | $97,120 | $123,900 | $132,230 | $98,540 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.02 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $58,660 | $82,160 | $100,420 | $131,920 | $165,460 | $107,580 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.09 | 4.33 |
| Annual | $37,990 | $65,270 | $113,500 | $171,540 | $190,300 | $117,720 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.01 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $61,480 | $64,180 | $99,510 | $127,000 | $165,300 | $102,760 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 0.02 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $104,380 | $120,500 | $146,040 | $179,690 | $259,970 | $159,950 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30 | 0.02 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $62,670 | $74,230 | $109,900 | $125,100 | $150,830 | $105,320 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.03 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $80,210 | $86,910 | $107,830 | $126,780 | $146,910 | $110,680 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $48,890 | $63,720 | $104,790 | $129,780 | $166,920 | $99,870 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 130 | 0.11 | 5.06 |
| Annual | $42,130 | $72,100 | $103,470 | $170,080 | $190,300 | $115,820 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 130 | 0.11 | 5.06 |
| Annual | $42,130 | $72,100 | $103,470 | $170,080 | $190,300 | $115,820 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 120 | 0.04 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $60,400 | $96,530 | $99,560 | $127,240 | $183,340 | $120,230 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 0.02 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $104,380 | $120,500 | $146,040 | $179,690 | $259,970 | $159,950 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.02 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $39,610 | $78,210 | $103,280 | $125,000 | $139,350 | $103,550 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.02 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $51,910 | $64,100 | $85,420 | $106,760 | $133,990 | $90,210 | ||||
Top industries employing geography teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 81.4% of geography teachers, postsecondary nationally (2,710 jobs) at a median $97,120 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (18.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 2,710 | 81.4% | $97,120 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 610 | 18.3% | $101,130 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (3,330). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $81,440 for geography teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $97,590 in May 2025, with employment of 3,440 and 3,330.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $81,440 | * | 3,440 |
| May 2022 | $81,920 | * | 3,340 |
| May 2023 | $85,600 | * | 3,480 |
| May 2024 | $86,730 | * | 3,290 |
| May 2025 | $97,590 | * | 3,330 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
28 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | * | $146,040 | $70,410 | $250,700 | 280 | 0.02 | 0.73 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | * | $113,500 | $37,990 | $190,300 | 180 | 0.09 | 4.33 |
| 3 | Vermont profile | * | $107,790 | $67,250 | $126,890 | 40 | 0.13 | 6.15 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | * | $105,470 | $63,640 | $165,010 | 40 | 0.02 | 1.11 |
| 5 | Maryland profile | * | $103,430 | $81,370 | $200,270 | 110 | 0.04 | 1.88 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | * | $101,870 | $66,930 | $160,020 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.75 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | * | $100,790 | $50,960 | $134,920 | 140 | 0.02 | 1.09 |
| 8 | New York profile | * | $100,420 | $58,660 | $165,460 | 200 | 0.02 | 0.94 |
| 9 | Texas profile | * | $99,510 | $61,480 | $165,300 | 180 | 0.01 | 0.59 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $97,120 | $50,300 | $132,230 | 220 | 0.04 | 1.67 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | * | $95,890 | $71,840 | $131,220 | 120 | 0.04 | 1.87 |
| 12 | Washington profile | * | $90,550 | $55,170 | $119,940 | 100 | 0.03 | 1.26 |
| 13 | New Mexico profile | * | $89,060 | $61,540 | $128,560 | 30 | 0.04 | 1.78 |
| 14 | Kentucky profile | * | $86,790 | $54,150 | $124,430 | 50 | 0.02 | 1.07 |
| 15 | South Carolina profile | * | $85,810 | $55,670 | $156,800 | 80 | 0.03 | 1.53 |
| 16 | Georgia profile | * | $85,420 | $51,910 | $133,990 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.61 |
| 17 | North Carolina profile | * | $84,630 | $52,810 | $132,370 | 160 | 0.03 | 1.53 |
| 18 | Oklahoma profile | * | $84,170 | $63,720 | $109,430 | 50 | 0.03 | 1.39 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | * | $83,530 | $66,030 | $128,260 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.71 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | * | $82,830 | $39,230 | $174,330 | 70 | 0.02 | 1.01 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | * | $82,510 | $76,860 | $138,740 | 110 | 0.03 | 1.53 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | * | $81,380 | $39,640 | $127,560 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.90 |
| 23 | Ohio profile | * | $81,290 | $40,700 | $118,080 | 150 | 0.03 | 1.28 |
| 24 | Tennessee profile | * | $81,220 | $52,120 | $118,760 | 80 | 0.02 | 1.13 |
| 25 | Wisconsin profile | * | $78,710 | $62,090 | $178,110 | 70 | 0.02 | 1.09 |
| 26 | New Jersey profile | * | $78,540 | $32,220 | $196,850 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.51 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | * | $75,130 | $48,150 | $134,670 | 50 | 0.04 | 1.93 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | * | $72,300 | $36,800 | $96,450 | 40 | 0.04 | 1.95 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1060), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-1064 Geography Teachers, Postsecondary.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-1064, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1064.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.