Geography & Cartography

Types of Degrees Geography & Cartography Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many geography and cartography graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,076
Graduate Certificate	990
Doctor’s Degree	249

What Geography & Cartography Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to geography were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Geography Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in geography should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Geography Majors

geography majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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.

Abilities for Geography Majors

A major in geography will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Geography & Cartography Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with geography:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	19.0%	$64,430
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Geographers	13.3%	$80,300
Geography Professors	8.0%	$80,350
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Supply Chain Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Wind Energy Project Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Geography & Cartography?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 46% of the graduates are women, and 54% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of geography majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	42
Black or African American	43
Hispanic or Latino	86
White	655
International Students	172
Other Races/Ethnicities	78

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Geography, too. About 16.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Hong Kong

How Much Do Geography & Cartography Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in geography and cartography made a median starting salary of $58,813 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $52,422 (25th percentile) and $71,191 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to geography so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Geography majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $68,340 to $88,950 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Geography & Cartography

Some degrees associated with geography may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for geography careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.5%
Some College Courses	1.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	46.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	16.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	19.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Geography & Cartography Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 518 schools offered some type of geography and cartography program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	53	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	155	8
Bachelor’s Degree	127	24
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	187	17
Post-Master’s	17	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	69	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Geography & Cartography Worth It?

The median salary for a geography grad is $80,530 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 102% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $812,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Geography & Cartography

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to geography.

Major	Number of Grads
Economics	6,173
International Relations & National Security	5,010
Political Science & Government	2,664
Sociology	1,907
Anthropology	1,446
Criminology	936
General Social Sciences	745
Other Social Sciences	532
Urban Studies	432
Demography & Population Studies	66
Archeology	66
Sociology & Anthropology	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Couleur under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.