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Cartographer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$81,390median pay per year, or $39.13 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $53,740lowest 10% earn less
  2. $65,67025th percentile
  3. $81,390median
  4. $101,96075th percentile
  5. $126,950top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Cartographers and photogrammetrists earned a median of $81,390 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+7.4%[2]
Openings per year
900[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do cartographers make?

The median wage for cartographers and photogrammetrists was $81,390 a year, or $39.13 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean wage was $86,690 a year, or $41.68 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $53,740 a year, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $65,670[3]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $101,960, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $126,950[3]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $53,740 $25.84
25th percentile[3][9] $65,670 $31.57
Median[1] $81,390 $39.13
75th percentile[3][9] $101,960 $49.02
90th percentile[3][9] $126,950 $61.03

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. About 14,260 people held these jobs in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

California had the highest state median at $102,780 a year, followed by Minnesota at $99,850 and Washington at $96,100[12]. Illinois had the lowest listed median at $54,680[12].

Texas had the most jobs at 1,780, then California at 1,450 and Colorado at 1,220[13]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA had the highest median at $130,820, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $125,330[14]. The Denver-Aurora-Centennial area had the most jobs at 790, with a median of $86,080[15].

Show median pay in 41 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
California[12]$102,7801,450
Minnesota$99,850100
Washington$96,100870
Nevada$93,560180
Massachusetts$92,230160
New York$89,290230
Alaska$89,17060
New Jersey$88,480170
Oregon$88,240640
Colorado$86,9601,220
Virginia$86,660860
Oklahoma$86,41070
Iowa$84,57090
Maryland$84,360450
Connecticut$84,100150
Arizona$82,260400
Nebraska$81,50050
North Carolina$81,080900
Florida$79,650610
New Mexico$79,20070
Maine$78,67040
Missouri$76,950170
Wisconsin$76,760260
Utah$75,220150
Michigan$75,090250
Indiana$74,80040
Texas$73,9701,780
Pennsylvania$73,180140
Tennessee$72,990150
Idaho$72,930100
South Dakota$72,910140
South Carolina$72,260150
Montana$72,220160
New Hampshire$72,13070
Kentucky$71,47090
North Dakota$71,07080
Ohio$70,990490
Wyoming$70,590100
Georgia$62,630490
Louisiana$59,990n/a
Illinois$54,680180

How to become a cartographer

The usual path looks like this[6][16]:

Some cartographers and photogrammetrists may need a license. Licensing rules vary, may be set by a state or an employer, and depend on job duties[16][20]. Certification is usually optional, and it may help candidates stand out when they look for work[21].

BLS also points to useful skills: clear communication, computer skills with GIS and mapping software, critical thinking, attention to detail and problem solving[22][23][24][25][26].

In an O*NET survey of 21 workers, 36% said a post-secondary certificate was required and 30% said a bachelor's degree[27]. The survey is small, so treat it as a rough picture.

What cartographers do

Cartographers and photogrammetrists prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for uses such as legal, educational and design work[28]. Some work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)[28]. Typical tasks include:

Sample job titles include digital cartographer, photogrammetrist, mapper and stereo compiler[30].

Where they work

Much of the work happens in an office, though some jobs include fieldwork to gather data and check results[31]. Full-time schedules are typical, and fieldwork can mean longer days[32]. Local government, excluding education and hospitals, was the largest employer at 41%[33].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,700 to 15,700 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[34]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

About 900 openings are projected each year[5]. Openings count jobs left by people who retire or change occupations, as well as new jobs[5]. Each year, 2.3% of workers leave the labor force and 3.1% move to a different occupation[35].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay is well above the all-occupations median, at $81,390 compared with $50,980[1][4]. Entry usually calls for a bachelor's degree, and licensing may apply in some jobs[6][20]. Projected growth is faster than for all occupations, at 7.4% compared with 3.5%[2][34]. This is a small field, with about 14,260 wage and salary jobs, so openings are measured in hundreds a year[11][5].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[36].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cartographer make an hour?
The median was $39.13 an hour in May 2025, or $81,390 a year[1].
What degree do you need to be a cartographer?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education, in cartography, geography, geomatics, surveying or a related field[6][16].
Is cartography in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 900 openings a year[2][5].
What is the highest paying state for cartographers?
California, with a median of $102,780 a year[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in the US was $81,390 per year and $39.13 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Cartographers and Photogrammetrists is projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,700 to 15,700 jobs (a change of +1,100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: 10th percentile $53,740, 25th percentile $65,670, 75th percentile $101,960, 90th percentile $126,950. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 900 openings for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists was $86,690 per year and $41.68 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: 10th percentile $25.84, 25th percentile $31.57, 75th percentile $49.02, 90th percentile $61.03. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 14,260 people were employed as Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Cartographers and Photogrammetrists jobs: Texas 1,780; California 1,450; Colorado 1,220; North Carolina 900; Washington 870. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists (areas with at least 100 jobs): Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $130,820; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $125,330; Kansas City, MO-KS $101,810; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $101,480; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $100,550; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $100,080; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $96,450; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $96,390. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Cartographers and Photogrammetrists jobs: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 790 (median $86,080); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 740 (median $86,660); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 520 (median $96,390); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 430 (median $72,400); Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 430 (median $100,080); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 380 (median $93,430). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET 17-1021.00 survey of workers (21 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Secondary Certificate 36%, Bachelor's Degree 30%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 11%, Master's Degree 11%, Some College Courses 11% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET description of Cartographers and Photogrammetrists. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET task list for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists. O*NET OnLine
  30. O*NET 17-1021.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Aerial Photogrammetrist, Cartographer, Cartographic Designer, Digital Cartographer, Mapper, Photogrammetric Technician, Photogrammetrist, Stereo Compiler. O*NET OnLine
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of cartographers and photogrammetrists in 2025: Local government, excluding education and hospitals 41%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  35. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: 2.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  36. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.