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Geography & Cartography

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 45.0701 - 45.0799.

Types of Degrees Geography & Cartography Majors Are Earning

Those studying Geography & Cartography have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	102
Associate’s Degree	363
Bachelor’s Degree	2,952
Master’s Degree	3,394
Doctor’s Degree	173

What Geography & Cartography Majors Need to Know

Studies in Geography & Cartography develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Geography & Cartography graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Geography & Cartography emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Geography & Cartography program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Geography & Cartography careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Geography & Cartography graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Geography & Cartography professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Geography & Cartography graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Telegraph Office Manager
• General Road Production Manager
• Director of Research
• Traffic Chief
• Communications Station Manager
• Stations Relations Contact Representative
• Transcription Manager
• Safety Manager
• Oil Well Drilling Manager
• Mining Manager
• Modeling Agency Manager
• Pool Manager
• Lottery Manager
• Media Traffic Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Geography & Cartography graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.3%
Doctoral degree	23.8%
Master’s degree	8.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
Post-master’s certificate	3.1%
Some college courses	2.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Geography & Cartography?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 44.1% women and 55.9% men among Geography & Cartography graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,130	44.1%
Men	3,975	55.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Geography & Cartography graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,604	64.8%
Asian	320	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	928	13.1%
Black or African American	228	3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	41	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Two or More Races	291	4.1%
Race Unknown	208	2.9%
International Students	478	6.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Geography & Cartography Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Geography & Cartography graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,758
4 years	$52,013
5 years	$59,913

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,913 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Geography & Cartography Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Geography & Cartography. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	18	16
Bachelor’s	22	9
Master’s	22	10

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Geography & Cartography Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Geography & Cartography graduates earn a median of $52,013 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Social Sciences	185,019
Economics	45,628
Political Science and Government	44,942
Sociology	31,380
Social Sciences, General	17,510
International Relations and National Security Studies	13,035
Anthropology	10,768
Criminology	10,365
Social Sciences, Other	1,942
Urban Studies/Affairs	1,343
Sociology and Anthropology	496
Archeology	393

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.