AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-3092.00

Will AI replace Geographers?

Geographers: AI can already handle 9 of 12 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 12 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Geographers, from most to least exposed. 9 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps. 80 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Write and present reports of research findings. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Conduct field work at outdoor sites. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Provide consulting services in fields such as resource development and management, business location and market area analysis, environmental hazards, regional cultural history, and urban social planning. 74 Observed Frontier 3.2
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. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Teach geography. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 12 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 11 of 12. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
1,400
Median annual wage
$102,040
Middle half of earners
$80,290 to $121,870
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-3.1%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Geographers and AI

Will AI replace Geographers?

AI already handles 9 of the 12 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 67 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -3.1% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Geographers?

67 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 12 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 11 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Geographers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps; Write and present reports of research findings; Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors. They are three of the 9 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Geographers, and what do they earn?

1,400 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $102,040 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -3.1% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Geographers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/geographers

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