American Association of Geographers American Association of Geographers

What can you do as a geographer?


Geography is an attractive major for students. Its theories and methods provide analytical techniques applicable to a wide range of questions asked over a broad spectrum of occupations. For students planning to end their formal education with the bachelor's degree, a geography major provides marketable skills and the broad perspectives on environment and society that enable graduates to move beyond entry-level positions. For similar reasons, geography provides a sound foundation for students who plan to enter graduate work in a variety of fields, from geography to business, land use planning, law, and medicine.

The potential for practicing geography in private enterprise and government has grown considerably in recent years, although few such positions are designated with the title of geographer. Roughly a quarter of all geographers work in the private and public sectors. Here are some examples of the kinds of positions held by those geographers:


Aerial Photo Interpreter

Air Pollution Specialist for a regional air quality district

Air Quality Analyst

Airline Cargo Marketing Executive

Airlines Researcher

Appraiser for a real estate corporation

Area Specialist

Avalanche Specialist in a U.S. National Forest

Biologist (consulting )

Budget Planning and Policy Manager for a major metropolis

Business Analyst in a corporation

Cartographer

Cartographer-Illustrator

Cartographic Editor

Cartographic Technician

Climatologist

Colonel in the U.S. Army

Community Development Analyst

Computer Mapping Specialist

Computer Specialist for a U.S. National Park

Conservation Education Coordinator for a state

Data Analyst for an insurance company

Demographer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Demographic Analyst for a county

Deputy Assistant Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation

Director of Computer Assisted Reporting for a major metropolitan daily newspaper

Director of Industrial Development for a port authority

Director of Planning and Zoning for a township

Ecologist

Economic Development Analyst

Economist

Energy Analyst

Engineer, Civil

Engineer, Consulting

Engineer, Photogrammetric

Environmental Manager

Environment Planner for a state department of transportation

Environmental Scientist for a state department of natural resources

Field Data Capture Specialist

Geodesist at the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency

Geographer at the Smithsonian Institution

Geographer at the U.S. Bureau of the Census

Geographer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Geographer at the U.S. Economic Development Administration

Geographer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Geographer at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Geographer at the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

Geographer for a water management district

Geographer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Geographer for the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center

Geographer for the U.S. Forest Service

Geographer, Consulting

Geographer in a corporation

Geographic Reference and Map Librarian

Geographic Specialist at the U.S. Department of State

Geography Education Specialist for an encyclopedia publisher

Geologist for a state department of environment and conservation

Geomorphologist at the U.S. National Biological Service

Geopolitical Specialist for a software corporation

GIS Analyst in a corporation

GIS Coordinator for a county

GIS Coordinator of Environmental Studies

GIS Implementation Specialist for a state library

GIS Program Manager for a county dept of information and administrative services

Hotel Concierge

Hydrogeologist (Consulting)

Hydrologist for a state soil and water conservation agency

Insurance Analyst

Intelligence Analyst at the U.S. National Photo Interpretation Center

Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency

Land Scientist (Consulting)

Land Surveyor

Land Use Planner for a city

Location Analyst

Map Analyst

Map Librarian

Map Curator

Mapping Designer for a corporation

Mapping Specialist for a commercial mortgage firm

Market Development Manager for a software corporation

Marketing Analyst

Meteorologist at the U.S. National Weather Service

Meteorologist, Television

Microcomputer specialist in a corporation

Natural Historian, U.S. Soil Conservation Service

Peace Corps Volunteer

Physical Scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey

Physical Scientist for the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency

Planner, Community

Planner, County

Planner, Resources

Planner, Transportation

Planner, Urban

Planner for a consolidated government

Planning Information Director for a county

Political Analyst

Pollution Control Specialist for a metropolitan area

Principal Scientist in a corporation

Project Planner for a county

Ranger in a U.S. National Park

Real Estate Appraiser

Real Estate Planner

Real Estate Research Analyst for a corporation

Real Estate Research Director

Recycling Coordinator for a state

Redevelopment Coordinator for a city

Regional Environmentalist for a state department of transportation

Regional Planner

Remote Sensing Specialist

Remote Sensing Scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey

Research Analyst for a regional gas and electric company

Research Meteorologist, U.S. National Climatic Data Center

Research Scientist, U. S. National Weather Service

Resource Development Director at the Canadian Bureau of Indian and North Affairs

Resource Economist

Resources Planner for as state

Risk Analyst in a corporation

Sales Facilities Research Analyst

Site Researcher

Soil Conservationist for a state natural resource conservation service

Supervising Topographic Engineer for a state geological survey

Surveying Technician

Teacher

Tourism Developer

Traffic Management Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Transportation Planner for a county

Transportation Planner for a county transit district

Travel Consultant and Planner

Water Conservation Planner for a city water system

Water Resource Specialist for a state environment department

Water Resources Planner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Web Master

Wetlands Conservation Supervisor for a reclamation authority

Zoning Administrator

Zoning Enforcement Inspector for a township

Zoning Inspector for a city

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