How much does a geography professor make?
a year · about $47 an hour
A typical geography professor in the United States makes $97,590 a year, about $47 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
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.
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.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $52,550 and $165,460How do you become one?
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.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out
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.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($146,040), lowest in Nebraska ($72,300).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| 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 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $146,040 | about 280 |
| Oregon | $113,500 | about 180 |
| Vermont | $107,790 | about 40 |
| Connecticut | $105,470 | about 40 |
| Maryland | $103,430 | about 110 |
Official definition: Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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