What You Need to Know About Geography Professor
Job Description: Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
A Day in the Life of a Geography Professor
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Maintain geographic information systems laboratories, performing duties such as updating software.
- Participate in campus and community events.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
- Supervise students’ laboratory and field work.
- Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
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What Every Geography Professor Should Know
Geography Professors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Types of Geography Professor Jobs
- Geography Department Chair
- Lecturer
- History Professor
- Global Studies and Cultural Geography Faculty Member
- Geology Professor
Is There Going to be Demand for Geography Professors?
There were about 5,000 jobs for Geography Professor in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 400 new jobs for Geography Professor by 2026. There will be an estimated 400 positions for Geography Professor per year.

The states with the most job growth for Geography Professor are Oregon, Colorado, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Geography Professors Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Geography Professors ranges between about $42,480 and $148,550 a year.

Geography Professors who work in Florida, Arizona, or Pennsylvania, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Geography Professors in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $78,650 |
Arizona | $104,400 |
Colorado | $78,570 |
Florida | $98,420 |
Georgia | $86,370 |
Illinois | $82,080 |
Kentucky | $69,190 |
Maryland | $98,670 |
Massachusetts | $99,810 |
Michigan | $84,300 |
Minnesota | $76,540 |
Missouri | $82,790 |
Nevada | $86,410 |
New Jersey | $109,020 |
New York | $90,390 |
North Carolina | $84,100 |
Ohio | $99,940 |
Oklahoma | $60,830 |
Oregon | $86,550 |
Pennsylvania | $92,050 |
Tennessee | $74,220 |
Texas | $88,560 |
Utah | $73,890 |
Washington | $73,370 |
West Virginia | $51,640 |
Wisconsin | $75,520 |
What Tools do Geography Professors Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Geography Professors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Calendar and scheduling software
- ESRI ArcView
- Learning management system LMS
- Blackboard Learn
- Course management system software
- Desire2Learn
How do I Become a Geography Professor?
Individuals working as a Geography Professor have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Geography Professor?

Who Employs Geography Professors?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Geography Professor sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Couleur via public domain (CC0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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