Explore career options in geography
Here you can find information on the careers and employment roles that studying geography may prepare you for.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
This major empowers you to explore the relationships between people, places and environments. It blends social and environmental sciences to study urbanisation and the impact of human activities on natural systems. Studying geography, you can learn about the impacts of climate change on urban systems, environmental monitoring, climate change adaptation and the interactions between environment, economy and society. You can also gain skills in geographic information systems (GIS), data analysis, research and problem-solving.
As a graduate, you may find opportunities in local councils, environmental consultancies, government departments, NGOs and private firms. Careers in this field are growing due to increasing demand for expertise in urban planning, environmental sustainability, and spatial data analysis. This major is ideal if you enjoy understanding and addressing global and local challenges related to people and places.
Career fields
*Further study at postgraduate level likely to be required
- Geographic information systems and spatial analysis
- Land use planning and development
- Infrastructure asset management
- Cartographic mapping
- Natural resource management
- Conservation services
- Local and/or state government administration
- Program or project management
- 3D modelling
- Mining and resource extraction
- Policy development and planning
- Environmental and social impact analysis
- Urban and environmental planning*
- Environmental consulting, auditing and research
- Secondary education*
Employment roles
- Geographic information system analyst/officer
- Spatial data analyst/scientist
- Graduate map specialist
- Transport geographic information system analyst
- Environmental scientist/advisor/officer
- Landscape and urban planner
- Development assessment officer
- Visual terrain developer
- Spatial content officer
- Environmental consultant/planner
- Policy advisor
- Soil scientist
- Conservation scientist/officer
Occupation snapshot
Employed
5,100
Future demand
Strong
Weekly earnings
$1,553
Part-time share
5%
This data is based on the occupation profile for environmental consultants, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and YourCareer website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand jobs
- Kelly Services
- Environmental Jobs
- Evolve Scientific
- Greenfinder
- NRMjobs
- WaterCareer
- GreenCareer
- Brisbane City Council vacancies
- City of Gold Coast jobs
- Queensland Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- NSW Government jobs
- Seek
Industry insight
Geoinformatics combines technology and geography to display data in a way that allows environmental professionals to make well-informed decisions about how we use, treat and manage natural resources.
Griffith University students Martin Juncal and Jacob Breslin dived further into this fascinating field while on a scholarship in Thailand.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
Relevant associations include:
- Institute of Australian Geographers
- Planning Institute of Australia
- Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand
- Society of Wetland Scientists
- Soil Science Australia
- Geospatial Council of Australia
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.