Salem State University Geography: earnings, debt & careers

Geography graduates of Salem State University earn a median $58,593 four years after graduating ($32,504 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $842 above the U.S. median for Geography graduates ($57,751 across 116 colleges), and ranks 1st of 5 Massachusetts colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$58,593

U.S. median for this major: $57,751.

College Scorecard field of study; 33 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$32,504

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 46% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,851.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,996 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $28,291. College Scorecard.

Salem State University Geography: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Salem State University graduates$58,593
Massachusetts median (5 colleges)$53,840 (+$4,753)
U.S. median (116 colleges)$57,751 (+$842)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Geography nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Salem State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$10,516$45,4292.4 years
$30–48k$13,870$59,9183.2 years
$48–75k$13,821$59,7073.2 years
$75–110k$17,590$75,9894.1 years
$110k+$23,223$100,3235.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Geography graduates 4 years after graduating ($58,593) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,713 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Geography at Massachusetts colleges

Every Massachusetts college we cover that reports Geography graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Salem State University$58,593$27,000$15,99650%
2Bridgewater State University$57,550$27,000$16,38353%
3Framingham State University$53,840—$16,11448%
4Clark University$49,230$26,500$28,71477%
5Worcester State University$41,054—$13,38161%

5 more Massachusetts colleges offer Geography but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Geography graduates

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

Boston area$90,910
Massachusetts$92,230
U.S.$81,390

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Geographers

Boston area$117,080
Massachusetts$121,300
U.S.$102,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -2.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Salem State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Salem State University

Related majors at Salem State University

  • Political Science$58,499
  • Sociology$51,573
  • Economics—

Salem State University Geography questions

How much do Salem State University Geography graduates earn?

Geography graduates of Salem State University earn a median $58,593 four years after graduating and $32,504 one year after. The U.S. median for Geography graduates across 116 colleges is $57,751.

How much debt do Salem State University Geography graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Geography graduates of Salem State University is $27,000, about 46% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,851.

Is Salem State University a good school for Geography in Massachusetts?

On pay, Geography graduates of Salem State University earn $58,593 four years out, $4,753 above the median for the same major across 5 Massachusetts colleges ($53,840) and $842 above the U.S. median ($57,751). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Salem State University rank for Geography in Massachusetts?

Of 5 Massachusetts colleges reporting Geography graduate earnings, Salem State University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Geography graduates get?

A common career is cartographers and photogrammetrists, with a median wage of $90,910 in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area and $81,390 nationally. Others include geographers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Salem State University Geography: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/salem-state-university/majors/geography (College Scorecard and BLS data).