Geographers vs Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers: Similar Pay, -2.1% vs 5.1% Growth

Geographers vs Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers: what changes?

Consider Geographers if you want to study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Consider Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers if you would rather study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Geographers and Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Geographers

National median pay (2025): $102,040
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Create and modify maps, graphs, or diagrams, using geographical information software and related equipment, and principles of cartography, such as coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 100

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 2.1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Geographers brief

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

National median pay (2025): $101,920
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,800

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers brief

How the national numbers differ

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers has the edge on projected growth

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is at 5.1% projected growth, compared with -2.1% projected growth for Geographers.

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers has the edge on annual openings

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is at 1,800 annual openings, compared with 100 annual openings for Geographers.

Typical preparation differs.

Geographers: Bachelor's degree Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers: Bachelor's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

34.5/ 100

Geographers

53.6/ 100

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

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