Geographers
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-3092
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 19-3092 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 11.0%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 53/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $102,040
- H-1B offered wage $74,015; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -3.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 58
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 288 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~50% of this role but only ~11% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Conduct research on physical aspects of a region, including land forms, climates, soils, plants, and animals, and conduct research on the spatial implications of human activities within a given area, including social characteristics, economic activities, and political organization, as well as researching interdependence between regions at scales ranging from local to global.
Common titles: Earth Observations Scientist, Geographer, GIS Coordinator (Geographic Information Systems Coordinator), GIS Geographer (Geographic Information Systems Geographer), GIS Physical Scientist (Geographic Information Systems Physical Scientist), Scientist
Representative Tasks
- •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.
- •Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
- •Teach geography.
- •Write and present reports of research findings.
- •Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Prepare maps.
- •Collect geographical or geological field data.
- •Compile geographic or related data.
- •Instruct college students in social sciences or humanities disciplines.
- •Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 11.0% | 9.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 37% Bright |
| Median Salary | $102,040 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 89/100 | N/A |