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Geographers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Geographers

Study the nature and use of areas of the Earth’s surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Conduct research on physical aspects of a region, including land forms, climates, soils, plants, and animals, and conduct research on the spatial implications of human activities within a given area, including social characteristics, economic activities, and political organization, as well as researching interdependence between regions at scales ranging from local to global.
$118,290median, a year
$114,830mean (average), a year
280people employed in this job here

The bar runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the darker part is the middle half of earners.

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The spread

US median
$50,000$100,000$150,000$200,000

How pay for this job is spread here: higher means more people earn around that amount, and the darker middle is the middle half of earners. The dots are BLS's published 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentiles; the curve between them is our smooth estimate. Hover or tap a dot for its figure.

This job is more common here than nationally: 0.1 in every 1,000 jobs (location quotient 9.85).

Where this job pays most

Median a year by state, from lower to higher pay as in the key below. Hover or tap a state for its figure. Living costs differ too, so a higher wage is not always more to spend.

Top metro and nonmetro areas

Link to this page: /wages?occ=193092&area=0047900. Your pay is never part of a link.

About

The data

Every figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 estimates, retrieved November 7, 2026. BLS updates them once a year, in spring; this site is refreshed after each release.

What the numbers mean

Median: half of the people in the job earn less, half earn more. Mean: the average, which a few high earners can pull up. Percentiles: the 25th percentile is the wage that a quarter of people earn less than.

Wages are what employers pay before taxes, including tips and commissions but not overtime, bonuses or benefits. They cover employees of businesses and governments, not the self-employed.

Annual wages are hourly wages times 2,080 hours (40 hours for 52 weeks), unless BLS publishes only one of the two. For jobs that are not usually full-time all year, such as teachers or actors, BLS gives only annual or only hourly figures, and so does this site.

Where your pay falls

BLS publishes five percentiles. When your pay falls between two of them, this site estimates your position in a straight line between them, so “around the 40th percentile” is an estimate, not a BLS figure.

The bell curve under “The spread” is also an estimate: a smooth log-normal curve fitted to those five percentiles. The dots on it are the published figures.

Gaps

BLS leaves out wages it cannot estimate reliably, often because few people do that job in that area; those show as n/a. For some jobs, mostly physicians, it withholds high wages and says only that they are at or above $115.00 an hour or $239,200 a year; those show with a “+”.

Areas

Metro areas follow the federal definitions BLS uses, and the rest of each state is split into nonmetropolitan areas. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed under each state it covers.

About this app

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BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by BLS.

Privacy

Last updated November 7, 2026

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Terms

Last updated November 7, 2026

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Estimates, not advice

The wages shown are survey estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and where your pay falls is our own estimate from them. Actual pay depends on experience, employer, hours and much else. Don't rely on this site alone for decisions about a job, a salary or a negotiation.

The data

The figures are published by BLS and shown as BLS publishes them. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. This site is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by BLS or the U.S. Department of Labor.

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