DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 605 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 1,380 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Geographers
Ranked by median salary from DOL filings| Rank | Employer | Median Salary | Filings | vs Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conservation International | $79,497 | 6 | -18.2% |
| 2 | 3S Network, Inc. | $66,768 | 5 | -31.3% |
| 3 | CDM Smith Inc. | $66,144 | 14 | -32% |
| 4 | Columbia University | $65,424 | 9 | -32.7% |
| 5 | The College of William and Mary | $65,000 | 6 | -33.1% |
| 6 | Spatial Front, Inc. | $65,000 | 6 | -33.1% |
| 7 | WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE | $64,845 | 17 | -33.3% |
| 8 | University of Maryland College Park | $62,000 | 45 | -36.2% |
| 9 | UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | $61,212 | 6 | -37% |
| 10 | University of California, Berkeley | $59,100 | 5 | -39.2% |
| 11 | George Mason University | $58,000 | 14 | -40.3% |
| 12 | OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES | $55,890 | 11 | -42.5% |
| 13 | University of Illinois | $55,000 | 8 | -43.4% |
| 14 | University of Notre Dame du Lac | $55,000 | 6 | -43.4% |
| 15 | FULTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT | $52,571 | 6 | -45.9% |
| 16 | South Dakota State University | $52,000 | 15 | -46.5% |
| 17 | University of Oklahoma | $51,700 | 8 | -46.8% |
| 18 | Arizona State University | $50,000 | 25 | -48.6% |
| 19 | Michigan State University | $45,976 | 11 | -52.7% |
| 20 | Texas Tech University | $38,624 | 7 | -60.3% |
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $62,317 | +7.9% | 15 | 5 |
| College Park, MD | $61,500 | +6.5% | 37 | 3 |
| Miami, FL | $57,898 | +0.2% | 10 | 3 |
| Tempe, AZ | $50,000 | -13.4% | 16 | 1 |
| EAST LANSING, MI | $45,976 | -20.4% | 10 | 1 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $90,000 | N/A | 2 |
| Utah | $74,214 | N/A | 3 |
| Nebraska | $72,600 | N/A | 10 |
| Iowa | $70,000 | N/A | 3 |
| Virginia | $68,110 | N/A | 30 |
| Washington | $66,768 | -39.5% | 10 |
| California | $65,000 | N/A | 46 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,000 | -23.7% | 5 |
| Massachusetts | $64,584 | N/A | 18 |
| District of Columbia | $62,317 | N/A | 15 |
| New York | $61,264 | N/A | 20 |
| Maryland | $61,004 | -44.1% | 43 |
| Connecticut | $60,353 | N/A | 4 |
| Georgia | $60,000 | N/A | 7 |
| Illinois | $58,062 | -36.4% | 12 |
| Rhode Island | $57,000 | N/A | 1 |
| Tennessee | $56,772 | N/A | 7 |
| Idaho | $56,129 | N/A | 4 |
| Wisconsin | $56,087 | N/A | 2 |
| Florida | $55,033 | N/A | 18 |
| Oregon | $55,002 | N/A | 2 |
| Louisiana | $55,000 | N/A | 2 |
| Missouri | $54,871 | -42.2% | 8 |
| Colorado | $54,500 | -48.8% | 6 |
| South Dakota | $54,496 | N/A | 14 |
| Alaska | $53,612 | N/A | 2 |
| Texas | $53,550 | -29.1% | 32 |
| Arkansas | $52,653 | N/A | 6 |
| Oklahoma | $51,700 | N/A | 9 |
| North Carolina | $51,416 | N/A | 8 |
| Maine | $50,648 | N/A | 1 |
| Arizona | $50,500 | -42% | 20 |
| Michigan | $50,428 | N/A | 22 |
| West Virginia | $49,474 | N/A | 2 |
| South Carolina | $48,318 | N/A | 1 |
| Mississippi | $48,000 | N/A | 1 |
| Indiana | $47,714 | N/A | 10 |
| Ohio | $47,694 | N/A | 7 |
| Montana | $47,559 | N/A | 2 |
| Kentucky | $47,500 | N/A | 1 |
| Kansas | $46,816 | N/A | 2 |
| Minnesota | $45,100 | N/A | 1 |
| Alabama | $41,100 | N/A | 2 |
| New Hampshire | $40,000 | N/A | 1 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Geographers positions, 50% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 43% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland College Park | Not specified | $62,000 |
| Arizona State University | Not specified | $50,000 |
| WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE | Master's | $64,845 |
| South Dakota State University | Not specified | $52,000 |
| CDM Smith Inc. | Bachelor's | $66,144 |
| George Mason University | Not specified | $58,000 |
| OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES | Not specified | $55,890 |
| Michigan State University | Not specified | $45,976 |
| Columbia University | Not specified | $65,424 |
| University of Illinois | Not specified | $55,000 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Geographers is Professional and Technical Services at $68,545. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $56,505.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 605 DOL filings, the median salary for a Geographers is $57,764, ranging from $50,000 to $69,805.
The 90th percentile salary is $133,680 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Washington, DC offers the highest median at $62,317.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Geographers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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