Geography is the art of the mappable.
Peter Hagget
This British geographer and academic (emeritus) coined a phrase intimately related to his profession. However, it doesn't apply to students trying to map their future, even if they are studying geography. For them, mapping means considering all their options, and choosing the one(s) that work best for them.
Some students seek a map to high pay and others, to travel opportunities. Those dedicated to the science will follow their passion, regardless of pay or job perks. This baker's dozen of top Geography degree jobs deliver a range of benefits university graduates want on their maps.
| 👷♀️Job title | 👨🏭Type of work | 💰Salary range (entry-level to senior position) |
|---|---|---|
| Cartographer | Drawing and updating maps Conducting fieldwork Maintainaing databases | 18 000 to £47 000 |
| Environmental Consultant | conduct field studies write environmental impact statements advise governments and companies. | £23 000 to £65 000 |
| Nature Conservationist | monitor species' habitats educate the community implement and promote sustainability initiatives | £19 000 to £35,000+ |
| Sustainability Consultant | conduct surveys to optimise sustainability keep clients in compliance with the law advise clients on sustainable solutions | £18 000 to £60,000 |
| Social Researcher | Study and report on social issues, such as crime rates, housing, human rights, human migration and more | £22 000 to £70 000+ |
| Data Analyst | compile and maintain databases produce reports and visuals | £23 000 to £60 000 |
| Architectural Technologist | help design and build sustainable, environmentally compatible structures | £23 000 to £55 000 |
| Ecologist | restore and protect the natural environment study human activity impacts on the environment | £18 000 to £45 000 |
| Hydrologist | monitor water conditions plan flood responses and other weather-induced conditions calculate and audit water system yields | £18 000 to £50 000 |
| Palaeontologist | participate in digs and fieldwork work in museums teach and write papers | £18 000 to £50 000 |
| Political risk analysts | Monitor and study political and economic activity worldwide assess risks advise decision-makers | £25 000 to £80 000 |
| Geographical Information Systems Officer | monitor GIS systems collect and analyse data represent data in maps. charts or in spreadsheets | £24 000 to £50 000+ |
| Geography Teacher | plan and deliver lessons assess students' progress keep abreast of the science | £28 000 to £100 000+ |
Cartographer
We start our list with the most obvious of geography degree jobs, drawing maps. Contrary to popular belief, our world maps are nowhere near settled. Sea level rises constantly alter our coastlines, and urban expansion and development make city maps obsolete.
According to Wired Magazine, the demand for cartographers is set to explode over the next few years.
What cartographers do
- design maps
- maintain databases
- carry out field research
What cartographers earn
- £18 000 to £22 000 to start
- £20 000 to £30 000 mid-range
- £30 000 to £47 000 at senior level
For this career, it might be best to earn a BA in Geography, rather than a BSc. When you apply for university study courses, make sure to choose a Geography curriculum that includes a cartography component.
Environmental Consultant
These professionals typically work through private companies to advise governments and other firms on environmental matters. Some environmental consultants conduct impact studies ahead of major building projects. Others study ways to minimise harmful runoffs and assess damage to ecosystems.
What environmental consultants earn
- £23 000 to £25 000 to start
- £22 000 to £35 000 mid-range
- £45 000 to £65 000 at senior level
What environmental consultants do
- assess air, land, and water contamination
- remediate, restore, and redevelop land
- conduct field surveys and write environmental impact statements.
Nature Conservation Officer
This type of work will see you mainly in the field. You will help implement conservation projects and oversee their success. That could mean in animals' habitats, maintaining coastal areas, or monitoring wetlands and moors.
You may also help educate the public about conservation efforts and proper stewardship.
What nature conservationists do
- plan and implement conservation projects
- monitor and assess habitats
- promote sustainability concepts
What nature conservationists earn
- £19 000 to £24 000 to start
- £25 000 to £30 000 mid-range
- £35 000+ at senior level
Sustainability Consultant
Doing this type of work, you're drilling into more specific conservation concepts. Once a company (or the government) gets their sustainability programmes up and running, your job is to oversee them. You'll also create and implement new sustainability initiatives.
What sustainability consultants earn
- £18 000 and £25 000 to start
- £25 000 and £40 000 mid-range
- £40 000 to £60 000 at senior level
What sustainability consultants do
- ensure environmental compliance
- optimise energy and resource usage
- monitor and reduce waste and pollution
Social Researcher
All the top universities' geography programmes include Human Geography in their curriculum. That's the study of people, their movements, their urban habitats and the issues they confront. As a social researcher, those are the types of topics you will address and/or study.
Social researchers divide into two main groups. Client-side researchers work with clients to gather, compile, assess and deliver reports to meet clients' needs. Agency researchers focus more on developing research parameters, and designing studies.
What a social researcher does
- design research projects
- gather relevant information
- advise clients and governments on social policy.
What social researchers earn
- £22 000 to £30 000 to start
- £35 000 and £60 000 mid-range
- £70 000+ at senior level
Data Analyst
Practically every career field boasts a cadre of data professionals. Like them, Geography data analysts specialise in working with data related to their field. They convert geographical data into usable information for commercial clients, and for governments. Data analysts are in high demand across all sectors, including geography.
What data analysts earn
- £23 000 and £25 000 to start
- £25 000 to £30 000 mid-range
- £60 000+ at senior level
What data analysts do
- produce and track critical data
- monitor and audit data quality
- create data dashboards, charts and graphs
Architectural Technologist
Chartered architectural technologists oversee entire building projects, from start to finish. Those include environmental and ecological aspects that the project might impact. Their main function is to steer projects into sustainable works, while creating environmentally sound constructions.
What architectural technologists do
- plan and design sustainable constructions
- evaluate and advise on environmental matters
- help develop project briefs
What architectural technologists earn
- £23 000 to £26 000 to start
- £29 000 to £38 000 mid-range
- £35 000 to £55 000 at senior level
Ecologist
Ecology is one of the main reasons the environmentally conscious want to study geography. Many careers involve field work, either surveying habitats or to collect data organism population and distribution. Your work may help governments decide resource allocation, and help with civic planning.
What ecologists earn
- £18 000 to £22 000 to start
- £22 000 to £30 000 mid-range
- £30 000 to £45 000 at senior level.
What ecologists do
- conduct field surveys
- classify organisms
- survey and monitor habitats
For a career in ecology, you should make Biology one of your A-Level selections, along with Geography. Studying these subjects throughout university will position you well for the career you aspire to.
Hydrologist
As you might guess from this job title, hydrologists' work centres on water. Monitoring water, in natural and man-made settings, is only a part of the job. Hydrologists also project water usage and assess impacts after catastrophic events like floods and dam breaks.
What hydrologists do
- collect and analyse water samples
- help draft water resource management plans
- study environmental effects on water flow
What hydrologists earn
- £18 000 to £25 000 to start
- up to £45 000 mid-range
- £50 000 at senior level.
Palaeontologist
This is one of the most fascinating fields your geography degree could take you to. You get to travel the world and participate in digs, you might even identify and catalogue the crew's findings.
If you'd rather stay close to home, you may work in a lab, testing samples the field crews send. In all cases, writing about your findings is an integral part of the job.
What palaeontologists earn
- £18 000 to £25 000 to start
- £26 000 to £35 000 mid-range
- £40 000 to £50 000 at senior level
What palaeontologists do
- work in field excavations
- analyse and record findings
- curate museum collections
Political Risk Analyst
Full disclosure: if given a chance, this writer would rewind her career to become a geopolitical analyst. Especially in these times of global turmoil and instability, such analytical skills can spot potential trouble areas and help defuse tensions.
Geopolitical analysts are often academics; they study political risks, but they also advise political leaders. Often, they travel to global hotspots to observe and study the action on the ground. They typically work with other analysts around the world to discuss perspectives. This clip demonstrates how it's done:
If you find this work fascinating too, be sure to mention that when you write university application personal statement. You're supposed to communicate your career goals with passion and enthusiasm, when you write it. This is your perfect chance!
What political risk analysts do
- gauge economic conditions
- assess threats across world regions
- collect and analyse information from around the world
What political risk analysts earn
- £25 000 and £32 000 to start
- £35 000 and £60 000 mid-range
- £52 000 to £80 000+ at senior level
Geographical Information Systems Officer
This is the type of work that you can apply your full range of geographical knowledge to. These professionals capture and analyse geographical data that helps business and government planning.
This work entails monitoring geographical information systems (GIS), and overlaying new data onto existing maps. Or, you might compile that data and create spreadsheets, or informational tables. As you might guess, this job involves no field work.
What a GIS officer earns
- £24 000 to £28 000 to start
- £32 000 to £40 000 mid-range
- £50 000+ at the senior level.
What a GIS officer does
- monitors GIS systems
- records and compiles data
- represents data in various forms
Geography Teacher
We end where we started, with one of the most obvious jobs for geography graduates. After reading this review of geography degree jobs, you must have come to a self-evident question. Who teaches all these future geographers?
It could be you. If you've no inclination towards field work and government or corporate cooperation leaves you cold, teaching is your best option.
What geography teachers do
- prepare and deliver lessons
- keep up with new developments
- introduce pupils to an exciting and far-reaching discipline
What geography teachers earn
- £28 000 to £38 000 to start
- £39 000 to £53 000 mid-range
- £100 000+ at senior level
Those salary estimates depend on your location. And, those ranges will likely be higher, by the time you graduate.
Now that you know the type Geography degree jobs available, you can decide which university degree programs to apply to. Still, you might like a guide to help you choose your courses, one that covers all you need to know about geography studies.
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