Geography Teachers, Postsecondary: Career Profile
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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What Do Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of geography teachers, postsecondary include:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful geography teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 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
The U.S. employs around 435,927 geography teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
| 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.
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Salary 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 |
Where Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Earn the Most
Pay for geography teachers, postsecondary shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
The bulk of geography teachers, postsecondary are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 3,290 | n/a |
Below are examples of industries where geography teachers, postsecondary work:
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
The work environment for geography teachers, postsecondary reflects the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Education and Training
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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:
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from 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).