The information on this page is designed to help you explore possible careers. Use the links below to navigate to different areas of the page. We recommend working with a career counselor to help you identify careers based on your skills, interests, and values.
GIS Job Search: Includes information on how to identify employers and job titles.
Resources to Generate Ideas for Careers and/or Places of Employment
List of Employers and Job Titles Posted in PSU Handshake for Geography Majors
Geography majors may find employment in a variety of areas depending on their skills and experience. Career-related internships or part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment after graduation. Places of employment for geographers include private industry; federal, state, and local government agencies; and educational institutions.
The following list of employers and job titles was primarily derived from the University Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested geography majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for geography majors. This list does not reflect current openings.
- AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. — GIS Analyst
- Benton County — Assistant Planner, Engineering/Surveying Technician
- BLUE: Land, Water, Infrastructure — Analysis and Design Focus
- C-Tran — Planner (GIS/Data Analyst)
- City of Albany, Oregon — Public Works Department
- City of Beaverton — GIS Analyst, Senior Planner, Associate Planner, GIS Intern, GIS Specialist (Finance Department)
- City of Corvallis — Assistant Planner, Associate Planner
- City of Grants Pass — GIS Database Technician
- City of Hillsboro — GIS Analyst, Urban Planner I, Urban Planner II
- City of Lake Oswego — GIS Technical Support Specialist
- City of Portland — Mapping Data Technician, GIS Technician II, Map and Records Supervisor
- City of Portland Water Bureau — GIS Position Engineering Trainee Internships
- City of Pineville — Senior Planner
- City of Salem — Planning Intern, Public Works/Transportation Planning, Assistant Planner
- City of Springfield — Senior Public Works Intern/Public Works Intern
- City of Tigard — Associate Planner
- City of Vancouver — Environmental Planner
- Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission — GIS Specialist
- Confederate Tribes of Siletz Indians — Planner/GIS
- Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments — Associate Planner, Community Development/Land Use
- Criterion Planners — GIS/Planning Technician (part-time)
- Crook County — GIS Manager
- Dean Runyan Associates — Research Assistant
- Deschutes Basin Land Trust — Land Steward Assistant
- EarthCorps — GIS Specialist/Project Manager
- Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) — GIS Technician for Cultural Resources, GIS/GPS/Fire and Fuels Support Technician, GIS/Hydrology Assistant, Range Associate Intern, Botany/GIS Assistant
- EPA Regional Personnel Office
- Hollywood Entertainment — GIS Analyst
- Jackson County — Planner III, Programmer Analyst I, Zoning/Fire Safety Field Inspector
- KMH Environmental Management, Inc. — Environmental Technician
- Lincoln County — GIS Survey Technician II
- Longview Fibre Company — Forestry GIS Technician
- McKenzie River Trust — Director of Resources
- METRO — Assistant, Associate and/or Senior Transportation Modeler in the Research and Modeling Services (TRMS) section within the Planning Department at METRO.
- Multnomah County — GIS Technician, Mapping Intern, GIS Intern
- Natural Resources Conservation — Cartographic Technician
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality - DEQ — Information Systems Specialist 6 - GIS Coordinator
- Oregon Biodiversity Information Center — Faculty Research Assistant - Biologist/GIS Analyst
- Oregon Department of Revenue — Cartographer I and III
- Oregon Department of Transportation — Right of Way Agent 2
- Oregon State University (OSU) — Associate or Full Professor - Marine Resources Management, Faculty Research Assistant - Remote Sensing/Data Management
- Oregon Trout — Fish Refuge Program Coordinator
- Parametrix, Inc. — GIS Analyst
- Port of Portland — Aviation Planning and Development Intern, Noise Management Intern
- Portland Development Commission (PDC) — GIS Coordinator, GIS/Research Analyst
- Sabrix, Inc. — GIS Analyst
- TriMet — Planning Intern, GIS Technician, Service Planner I, GIS Data Analyst
- US Army Corps of Engineers — Community Planner
- U.S. Forest Service — Rangeland Management Specialist
- U.S. Geological Survey
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Careers Reported by Geography Majors (Recent Graduates) on College/University Surveys
This is a list of jobs Geography majors reported having at (or shortly after) graduation; it does not represent every career possibility for Geography majors. This list was generated from survey data published by colleges and universities across the United States. Please be aware that internships or other career-related experience may be a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment after graduation. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for exploration.
- Account Manager for a translation services company
- Business Development Consultant for computer technology corporation
- Cartography Technician for a GPS technology company
- Conservation Technician for a county soil and water district
- Consultant for a management and IT consulting firm
- Clinical Research Assistant II for a children’s hospital
- Content Producer for a news group
- Data Analyst for a technology company
- Data Analyst for an integrated managed care consortium
- Digital Cartographer for a provider of geographical operations system software
- Educator Programs and Networks Specialist for a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting Earth
- Enterprise Analyst for a supplier of GIS software
- Field Advisory Consultant for an audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services company
- Geodata Specialist for a provider of geospatial data and GIS production services and solutions
- Geospatial Analyst for an IT, engineering, and science solutions company
- Geospatial Technician for a university
- GIS Analyst for a natural resources engineering firm
- GIS Analyst for a management and information technology consulting firm
- GIS Analyst for a county department of transportation
- GIS Analyst for a GIS consulting firm
- GIS Analyst for a county
- GIS Developer for an environmental science and engineering company
- GIS Field Systems Operator for a provider of large-scale geo-referenced datasets
- GIS Production Analyst for a provider of professional maps, charts, and geospatial data
- GIS Specialist for a geotechnical engineering consulting firm
- GIS Specialist for a local government GIS consulting company
- GIS Specialist for an engineering, procurement, and construction company
- GIS Specialist and Researcher for an environmental consulting firm
- GIS Specialist with a global design, engineering, and management consulting company
- GIS Specialist/Cartographer for a map publisher
- GIS Technician for a utility company
- GIS Technician for an engineering, technical services, and consulting company
- GIS Technician for a city
- GIS Technician for a conservation management institute
- Map Print Specialist for a provider of maps and geospatial data
- Map Specialist for a management services company
- Mapping Technician for a technology company
- Management Consulting Analyst for a professional services company
- Natural Resource Specialist for an environmental, planning, and engineering consulting firm
- Nautical Cartographic Analyst for a federal geospatial-intelligence agency
- Operations Engineer for a company that provides mapping and location data
- Park Ranger for a federal agency
- Planner for a regional development commission
- Program Director for a university alumni association
- Research Analyst for a environmental policy nonprofit
- Scientist for a multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm
- Solutions Engineer for a provider of custom online maps for websites and applications
- Survey Technician for a civil engineering consulting firm
- Water Quality Field Technician for an environmental nonprofit
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Careers Reported by Geography Majors on the American Community Survey
The following list of job titles was generated from American Community Survey data. Every year, the federal government surveys 3,000,000 people. This list shows some of the most-often reported careers for people who majored in Geography. Please be aware that additional education, internships, or career-related experience may be a prerequisite to some of the careers on this list. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for exploration. To find brief descriptions of the following occupations, go to the Standard Occupational Classification system.
- Managers
- Elementary and Middle School Teachers
- Surveyors, Cartographers, and Photogrammetrists
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Management Analysts
- Education Administrators
- Marketing and Sales Managers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Software Developers
- Chief Executives and Legislators
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Accountants and Auditors
- Lawyers and Judges
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- Counselors
- Registered Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Financial Managers
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Operations Research Analysts
- Civil Engineers
- Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists
- Social Workers
- Librarians
- Compliance Officers
- Database Administrators
- Web Developers
- Construction Managers
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians
- Computer Programmers
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Designers
- Purchasing Managers
- Aerospace Engineers
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Special Education Teachers
- Pharmacists
- Editors
- Human Resources Managers
- Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Psychologists
- Writers and Authors
- Public Relations Specialists
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Medical Scientists and Life Scientists
- Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
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Government Job Classification Specifications
Classification Specifications are generic descriptions of jobs in government agencies. Generally, they provide an overview of the job and describe essential duties and responsibilities as well as requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and educational requirements. Classification specifications can be useful in identifying roles within government organizations that require GIS knowledge and/or experience. The following list includes GIS-related classification specifications for city, county, and state agencies.
Cities
City of Beaverton
City of Gresham
City of Portland: 2018-2019 Salary Information by Job Classification
City of Salem
City of Tualatin
Counties
Clackamas County
Clark County
Multnomah County
States
State of Oregon
State of Washington
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Professional Associations
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Sites with Career-Related Information for Geography Majors
- About Geography Careers —Career guide from the American Association of Geographers. Sections include:
- Careers in Cartography and GIS — Developed by the Cartographic and Geographic Information Society."
- Occupational Report for Geographers — Provides information on "wages, employment projections, employment by industry, skill sets, educational requirements, and training providers." From QualityInfo, published by the Oregon Employment Department.
- Occupational Report for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists — Provides information on "wages, employment projections, employment by industry, skill sets, educational requirements, and training providers." From QualityInfo, published by the Oregon Employment Department.
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