Geography Teachers, Postsecondary Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for geography teachers, postsecondarys across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $102,350 ≈ $49/hr
National median salary $97,590
Total employment 3,330 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +3.3% About as fast as average
Annual openings 300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 4,000 → 4,200 (+100)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

Mean annual wage $71,000–$89,000 $89,000–$91,000 $91,000–$99,000 $99,000–$104,000 $104,000–$155,000 U.S. mean $102,350

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. California$155,320
  2. Maryland$126,310
  3. Oregon$117,720
  4. Connecticut$110,250
  5. New York$107,580

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Nebraska$70,900
  2. Michigan$81,250
  3. Mississippi$83,250
  4. Ohio$83,910
  5. Missouri$87,490
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 California $155,320 $146,040 $75 +51.8% 280
2 Maryland $126,310 $103,430 $61 +23.4% 110
3 Oregon $117,720 $113,500 $57 +15% 180
4 Connecticut $110,250 $105,470 $53 +7.7% 40
5 New York $107,580 $100,420 $52 +5.1% 200
6 Vermont $104,880 $107,790 $50 +2.5% 40
7 Massachusetts $103,720 $101,870 $50 +1.3% 60
8 Texas $102,760 $99,510 $49 +0.4% 180
9 Minnesota $100,330 $95,890 $48 -2% 120
10 South Carolina $98,900 $85,810 $48 -3.4% 80
11 Wisconsin $98,790 $78,710 $48 -3.5% 70
12 Pennsylvania $98,540 $97,120 $47 -3.7% 220
13 Indiana $98,020 $82,830 $47 -4.2% 70
14 Illinois $96,590 $100,790 $46 -5.6% 140
15 Arizona $95,570 $82,510 $46 -6.6% 110

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 15 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $146,040 $159,950 100
2 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $109,900 $105,320 30
3 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $107,830 $110,680 60
4 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $104,790 $99,870
5 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $103,470 $115,820 130
6 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $103,280 $103,550 90
7 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $101,590 $109,140 30
8 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $100,080 $102,990 40
9 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $99,640 $112,140 60
10 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $99,560 $120,230 120

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing geography teachers, postsecondarys (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned $111,170 $115,380 460
2 Educational Services, Local Government Owned $111,150 $115,900 610
3 Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $111,150 $115,900 610
4 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned $103,470 $117,430 150
5 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned $102,580 $104,940 410
6 Educational Services, Privately Owned $102,200 $104,660 410
7 Cross-industry, Private Ownership only $102,200 $104,660 410
8 Junior Colleges $101,130 $106,830 610
9 Educational Services $97,590 $102,350 3,330
10 Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local $97,590 $102,350 3,330
11 Sector 61 - Educational Services $97,590 $102,350 3,330
12 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools $97,120 $101,340 2,710

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do geography teachers, postsecondary make in the U.S.?

The median geography teachers, postsecondary salary in the United States is $97,590 per year (mean $102,350), and about 80% earn between $52,550 and $165,460.

How much do geography teachers, postsecondary make per hour?

Roughly $49 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $102,350 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays geography teachers, postsecondary the most?

California has the highest average pay for geography teachers, postsecondary at $155,320 per year (median $146,040).

What is the job outlook for geography teachers, postsecondary?

Employment is projected to change +3.3% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 300 openings per year.

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