Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Also called: Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Geography Instructor · Geography Professor · Human Geography Instructor · Human Geography Professor
Median pay (national)
$86,730
$49,990–$164,350 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
3,290
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.3%
~300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for geography teachers, postsecondary shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $164,350 versus $49,990 at the bottom 10% — 3.3x. The median of $86,730 leaves roughly 89% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 31 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $162,050, +87% vs the national median), while Tennessee sits lowest at $76,450 — a 112% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Geographic information system GIS systems as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Writing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Science
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as urbanization, environmental systems, and cultural geography.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
- Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
Tools & technology
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Mozilla Firefox
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Blackboard Learn
- Caliper Maptitude
- Clark Labs CartaLinx
- Clark Labs IDRISI
- Collaborative editing software
- Course management system software
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- DOC Cop
- ESRI ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst
Knowledge areas
- English Language
- Geography
- Education and Training
- History and Archeology
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Communications and Media