CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Geographers

The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Conduct research on physical aspects of a region, including land forms, climates, soils, plants, and animals, and conduct research on the spatial implications of human activities within a given area, including social characteristics, economic activities, and political organization, as well as researching interdependence between regions at scales ranging from local to global. 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.
 
Write and present reports of research findings.
 
Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information (GIS) computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
 
Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
 
Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
 
Teach geography.
 
Gather and compile geographic data from sources including censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
 
Conduct fieldwork at outdoor sites.
 
Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
 
Provide consulting services in fields including resource development and management, business location and market area analysis, environmental hazards, regional cultural history, and urban social planning.
 
Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment.
 
Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
Geography Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 
Sociology and Anthropology Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
 
Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 
Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 
History and Archeology Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
 
Law and Government Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 
Philosophy and Theology Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
 
Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 
Biology Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
 
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
 
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
 
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Science Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
 
Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
Systems Analysis Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
 
Instructing Teaching others how to do something.
 
Systems Evaluation Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
 
Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
 
Mathematics Using mathematics to solve problems.
 
Learning Strategies Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
 
Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
 
Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
 
Operations Analysis Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
 
Management of Personnel Resources Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Written Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
 
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
 
Mathematical Reasoning The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
 
Number Facility The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
 
Fluency of Ideas The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
 
Originality The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
 
Flexibility of Closure The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
 
Far Vision The ability to see details at a distance.
 
Selective Attention The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
 
Visualization The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
 
Perceptual Speed The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
Required Level of Education Master's Degree
 
Required Level of Education Bachelor's Degree
 
Related Work Experience Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Biogeographer
Earth Observations Chief Scientist (NASA)
Economic Geographer
Environmental Affairs Corporate Director
Environmental Scientist
GIS Geographer
GIS Geographer (Geographic Information Systems Geographer)
GIS Physical Scientist (Geographic Information Systems Physical Scientist)
Geographer
Geographic Information Systems Analyst (GIS Analyst)
Geographic Information Systems Program Director (GIS Program Director)
Geography Professor
Geomorphologist
Glaciologist
Imagery Analyst
Natural Resources Specialist
Physical Geographer
Political Geographer
Professor
Research Coordinator
Scientist
Urban and Metropolitan Policy Director
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Engineering/Scientific
Job Family: Scientist
Benchmark Title: Geographers
 
 
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