Geography and Cartography
Social Sciences
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $58,134 | $50,551 to $62,464 | 17 | 94% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,424 | $53,081 to $63,679 | 115 | 95% |
| Graduate/Professional Certificate | $85,219 | $65,286 to $86,247 | 5 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $80,592 | $75,756 to $90,558 | 18 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +5% (2025 to 2035), about 109,100 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Surveying and Mapping Technicians | $54,240 | +5.8% | 6,900 |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | $81,390 | +7.4% | 900 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | $97,590 | +2.7% | 300 |
| Geographers | $102,040 | -2.1% | 100 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a geography and cartography program, of 419 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion
- Oregon State University
- University of Arizona
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Southern California
- University of California-Santa Barbara
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.