Geography Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Overview
Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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The Daily Work of Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of geography teachers, postsecondary cover:
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as urbanization, environmental systems, and cultural geography.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective geography teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Cartography Professor
- Cartography Teacher
- College Faculty Member
- College Professor
- Cultural Geography Faculty Member
- Geographic Information Systems Faculty Member (GIS Faculty Member)
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 435,927 geography teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -3.5% over the projection horizon.
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $47,034 |
| Hourly median | $22.61 |
| 10th percentile | $32,503 |
| 25th percentile | $39,769 |
| 75th percentile | $54,300 |
| 90th percentile | $61,566 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $162,050 |
| Oregon | $124,060 |
| Vermont | $103,950 |
| Maryland | $100,110 |
| South Carolina | $99,030 |
| Massachusetts | $98,220 |
| New York | $97,960 |
| Texas | $95,780 |
| Minnesota | $94,120 |
| Illinois | $87,410 |
| Connecticut | $86,830 |
| Ohio | $85,720 |
| New Mexico | $85,460 |
| Virginia | $85,400 |
| Iowa | $85,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,350 |
| Mississippi | $83,570 |
| Wisconsin | $82,720 |
| Utah | $81,940 |
| Washington | $81,910 |
| Kentucky | $81,690 |
| Indiana | $81,600 |
| Missouri | $81,370 |
| North Carolina | $81,210 |
| Oklahoma | $80,910 |
| Georgia | $80,200 |
| New Jersey | $78,220 |
| Colorado | $77,430 |
| Arizona | $77,200 |
| Michigan | $77,180 |
| Tennessee | $76,450 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for geography teachers, postsecondary shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $137,657 | 18.0% | 1.28 |
| New England | $96,602 | 4.6% | 2.59 |
| Middle Atlantic | $91,495 | 18.0% | 1.26 |
| Southwest | $90,195 | 13.1% | 1.05 |
| Plains States | $89,510 | 5.6% | 1.26 |
| Great Lakes | $83,368 | 16.4% | 1.06 |
| Southeast | $82,271 | 17.7% | 1.28 |
| Rocky Mountains | $79,008 | 6.6% | 2.04 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $178,550 | 50 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $169,670 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $164,660 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $140,140 | 100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $120,220 | 90 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $103,780 | 50 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $98,880 | 90 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $97,760 | 70 |
Industry Breakdown
Most geography teachers, postsecondary are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 3,290 | n/a |
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: Geographic information system GIS systems (in demand)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for geography teachers, postsecondary tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Geographers (Primary-Short)
- Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for geography teachers, postsecondary typically earn programs in:
Social Sciences
4 programs across 2 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1064.00 (Geography Teachers, Postsecondary).
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