JobAfterNext

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

Research, study, and prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for one or more purposes, such as legal, social, political, educational, and design purposes. May work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). May design and evaluate algorithms, data structures, and user interfaces for GIS and mapping systems. May collect, analyze, and interpret geographic information provided by geodetic surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite data.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$81,390
Employment, U.S.14,260
Median hourly wage$39.13
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$53,740$65,670$81,390$101,960$126,950
By state (42)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alaska60$89,1702.04
Arizona400$82,2601.35
California1,450$102,7800.87
Colorado1,220$86,9604.61
Connecticut150$84,1000.94
Florida610$79,6500.67
Georgia490$62,6301.10
Idaho100$72,9301.25
Illinois180$54,6800.33
Indiana40$74,8000.12
Iowa90$84,5700.62
Kansas230Not available1.75
Kentucky90$71,4700.51
Louisiana$59,990
Maine40$78,6700.72
Maryland450$84,3601.77
Massachusetts160$92,2300.49
Michigan250$75,0900.61
Minnesota100$99,8500.39
Missouri170$76,9500.65
Montana160$72,2203.43
Nebraska50$81,5000.58
Nevada180$93,5601.27
New Hampshire70$72,1301.14
New Jersey170$88,4800.42
New Mexico70$79,2000.86
New York230$89,2900.26
North Carolina900$81,0801.98
North Dakota80$71,0701.94
Ohio490$70,9900.95
Oklahoma70$86,4100.44
Oregon640$88,2403.53
Pennsylvania140$73,1800.26
South Carolina150$72,2600.70
South Dakota140$72,9103.34
Tennessee150$72,9900.50
Texas1,780$73,9701.38
Utah150$75,2200.97
Virginia860$86,6602.28
Washington870$96,1002.68
Wisconsin260$76,7600.96
Wyoming100$70,5904.05

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians40.976
2Remote Sensing Technicians40.965
3Surveying and Mapping Technicians30.959
4Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists40.945
5Geodetic Surveyors40.940
6Electrical and Electronics Drafters30.939
7Geographers40.933
8Surveyors40.928
9Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians40.926
10Logistics Analysts40.924

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Remote Sensing TechniciansMathematics0.760.965
Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic TechniciansOperations Monitoring0.870.926
Traffic TechniciansManagement of Personnel Resources0.760.903
Architectural and Civil DraftersPersuasion0.880.900
Prepress Technicians and WorkersOperations Monitoring1.250.896

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, excluding software Cartographers and Photogrammetrists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE8 of 2024.6x
The MathWorks MATLAB12 of 205.0x
C++11 of 204.6x
ITT Visual Information Solutions ENVI4 of 2046.2x
Hypertext markup language HTML9 of 205.3x
ESRI ArcIMS4 of 2036.9x
Trimble Terramodel4 of 2036.9x
UNIX9 of 204.7x
Perl8 of 205.6x
Golden Software Surfer4 of 2026.4x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.50 3.75
WritingEssential skill 3.50 3.62
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.38 3.50
Active LearningEssential skill 3.25 3.38
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
MonitoringEssential skill 3.12 3.12
SpeakingEssential skill 3.12 3.12
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
MathematicsEssential skill 2.88 3.12
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.88 3.00
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
InstructingTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.38 2.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.38 2.12
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 2.12
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
ScienceEssential skill 1.88 1.50
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.88 1.12
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.75 1.38
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.50 1.00
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
RepairingTransferable skill 1.25not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Geography 4.51 6.25
Computers and Electronics 4.22 4.92
English Language 3.54 4.11
Design 3.36 4.27
Mathematics 3.33 4.25
Customer and Personal Service 2.92 3.06
Engineering and Technology 2.84 2.99
Education and Training 2.75 3.95
Administration and Management 2.65 3.33
Law and Government 2.60 2.52
Production and Processing 2.47 2.67
Administrative 2.44 3.60
Communications and Media 2.37 2.89
Transportation 2.24 2.15
Personnel and Human Resources 2.21 2.38
Public Safety and Security 2.10 1.46
Telecommunications 2.06 1.75
Building and Construction 1.99 1.33
Physics 1.68not rated
History and Archeology 1.62 1.25
Mechanical 1.57not rated
Sales and Marketing 1.55not rated
Psychology 1.49 0.89
Economics and Accounting 1.44not rated
Biology 1.38not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.38not rated
Foreign Language 1.34not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.25not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.13not rated
Chemistry 1.02not rated
Fine Arts 1.01not rated
Food Production 1.00not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.00not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.12
Near Vision 3.88 4.12
Oral Comprehension 3.88 4.12
Inductive Reasoning 3.62 4.00
Oral Expression 3.50 4.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.50 3.88
Written Expression 3.50 3.88
Flexibility of Closure 3.38 3.50
Far Vision 3.25 3.50
Information Ordering 3.25 3.50
Visualization 3.25 3.38
Category Flexibility 3.12 3.62
Problem Sensitivity 3.12 3.38
Speech Recognition 3.12 3.12
Speech Clarity 3.12 3.00
Fluency of Ideas 3.00 3.00
Mathematical Reasoning 3.00 3.00
Originality 3.00 3.00
Perceptual Speed 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 3.00 2.88
Number Facility 2.88 3.12
Visual Color Discrimination 2.88 3.00
Finger Dexterity 2.88 2.88
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.88 2.75
Control Precision 2.75 2.88
Speed of Closure 2.75 2.88
Time Sharing 2.62 2.62
Memorization 2.50 2.88
Auditory Attention 2.25 2.00
Depth Perception 2.25 2.00
Manual Dexterity 2.25 2.00
Trunk Strength 2.00 1.38
Hearing Sensitivity 1.75 1.50
Extent Flexibility 1.50 0.75
Dynamic Strength 1.50 0.62
Spatial Orientation 1.38 0.62
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.38 0.62
Multilimb Coordination 1.25not rated
Reaction Time 1.12not rated
Response Orientation 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 70
  • Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
  • Boeing Kork Digital Mapping
  • Boeing SoftPlotter
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
  • Corporate Montage CADScript
  • Cosmo Software Cosmo World
  • Digital databases
  • Digital mapping software
  • ERDAS ER Mapper
  • ESRI ArcInfo
  • ESRI ArcView
  • ESRI software
  • Email software
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
  • Hexagon Intergraph
  • IBM iSeries Access
  • Image analysis software
  • Image processing software
  • Intergraph ImageStation Stereo Softcopy Kit SSK
  • Leica AEROPLAN LiDAR
  • MapInfo
  • Mapping software
  • Mapthematics GeoCart
  • Master Seafloor Digital Database
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • MultiGen Paradigm Vega Prime
  • Precision analytical aerotriangulation pugging software
  • Quark Immedia
  • QuarkXPress
  • RSI ENVI
  • Rand McNally World Digital Database
  • RockWare ArcMap
  • SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise
  • Software development tools
  • Standardized general markup language SGML
  • Steroplotter software
  • Terrasolid TerraScan
  • Textron Systems Geospatial Solutions RemoteView
  • World Vector Shoreline

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO1006.32$82,490
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO7905.32$86,080
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA3803.41$93,430
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV7402.57$86,660
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA4302.24$100,080
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA2002.04$130,820
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX5201.72$96,390
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX1901.63$76,080
Kansas City, MO-KS1601.63$101,810
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC1101.59$79,550

More metros, other thresholds