How much does a geography professor make?
Answer: A typical geography professor in the United States makes $97,590 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 3,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Geography professor pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $52,550 | $97,590 | $165,460 | about 3,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay can differ with experience, responsibility, tenure, and location. It can also depend on the kind of college—universities usually pay more than community colleges—and whether the job is full-time or part-time.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a geography professor do?
Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What's a typical day like?
They prepare lessons and teach topics such as cities or culture, then grade work and advise students. They may also use GIS on a computer to map and analyze patterns in places.
How to get this job
In the US, study geography or a related subject in college, then usually earn a PhD to teach at a college or university. A master's degree may be enough for some community-college jobs.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
Geographers used GIS to create and maintain COVID dashboard maps, showing that geography can help track disease—not just countries and capitals.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/25-1064.00
- www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/print/geographers.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251064.htm
- cossa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/10-2025-AAG.pdf
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY