July 22, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Earnings in geography jobs

A geography job is any work that focuses on location. In May 2004, median annual earnings for occupations in the field of geography ranged from $30,380 to $74,980.

[Chart data—TXT]

Surveying technicians and mapping technicians as a group had median annual earnings of $30,380 in May 2004. Surveyors had median earnings of $42,980. 

Cartographers and photogrammetrists had median annual earnings of $46,080; cartographers develop and draw maps, while photogrammetrists interpret detailed photos and other data from jets and planes. Median yearly earnings of urban and regional planners were $53,450.

Geographic Information System (GIS) analysts or developers who create new software or design databases are classified as computer applications software engineers or database administrators. Database administrators had median annual salaries of $60,650, while software engineers had median salaries of $74,980 in May 2004.

These data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program. For more information, see "Geography jobs" by Olivia Crosby, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Spring 2005.