SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-1021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $53,740 | $4,478 | $1,033 | $25.84 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $65,670 | $5,472 | $1,263 | $31.57 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $81,390 | $6,782 | $1,565 | $39.13 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $101,960 | $8,497 | $1,961 | $49.02 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $126,950 | $10,579 | $2,441 | $61.03 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists is $81,390, which is 60% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 21 by median pay. With 14,260 jobs, it makes up about 0.9 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($102,780), Minnesota ($99,850) and Washington ($96,100). The lowest was in Illinois ($54,680), Louisiana ($59,990) and Georgia ($62,630). The most jobs were in Texas (1,780), California (1,450) and Colorado (1,220). The occupation is most concentrated in Colorado, where its share of all jobs is 4.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,450 | $102,780 | $103,690 | $49.41 |
| Minnesota | 100 | $99,850 | $100,100 | $48.00 |
| Washington | 870 | $96,100 | $95,730 | $46.20 |
| Nevada | 180 | $93,560 | $92,380 | $44.98 |
| Massachusetts | 160 | $92,230 | $101,430 | $44.34 |
| New York | 230 | $89,290 | $88,010 | $42.93 |
| Alaska | 60 | $89,170 | $90,840 | $42.87 |
| New Jersey | 170 | $88,480 | $90,510 | $42.54 |
| Oregon | 640 | $88,240 | $90,590 | $42.42 |
| Colorado | 1,220 | $86,960 | $94,460 | $41.81 |
| Virginia | 860 | $86,660 | $86,980 | $41.66 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | $86,410 | $89,320 | $41.55 |
| Iowa | 90 | $84,570 | $83,290 | $40.66 |
| Maryland | 450 | $84,360 | $94,640 | $40.56 |
| Connecticut | 150 | $84,100 | $87,510 | $40.44 |
| Arizona | 400 | $82,260 | $84,100 | $39.55 |
| Nebraska | 50 | $81,500 | $81,440 | $39.18 |
| North Carolina | 900 | $81,080 | $79,250 | $38.98 |
| Florida | 610 | $79,650 | $81,790 | $38.30 |
| New Mexico | 70 | $79,200 | $80,930 | $38.08 |
| Maine | 40 | $78,670 | $78,360 | $37.82 |
| Missouri | 170 | $76,950 | $81,990 | $37.00 |
| Wisconsin | 260 | $76,760 | $79,270 | $36.90 |
| Utah | 150 | $75,220 | $76,710 | $36.16 |
| Michigan | 250 | $75,090 | $76,240 | $36.10 |
| Indiana | 40 | $74,800 | $72,140 | $35.96 |
| Texas | 1,780 | $73,970 | $85,370 | $35.56 |
| Pennsylvania | 140 | $73,180 | $75,390 | $35.18 |
| Tennessee | 150 | $72,990 | $76,740 | $35.09 |
| Idaho | 100 | $72,930 | $73,140 | $35.06 |
| South Dakota | 140 | $72,910 | $71,660 | $35.05 |
| South Carolina | 150 | $72,260 | $74,740 | $34.74 |
| Montana | 160 | $72,220 | $70,460 | $34.72 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $72,130 | $74,660 | $34.68 |
| Kentucky | 90 | $71,470 | $72,800 | $34.36 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $71,070 | $72,140 | $34.17 |
| Ohio | 490 | $70,990 | $73,340 | $34.13 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $70,590 | $72,110 | $33.94 |
| Georgia | 490 | $62,630 | $66,050 | $30.11 |
| Louisiana | not published | $59,990 | $70,140 | $28.84 |
| Illinois | 180 | $54,680 | $67,710 | $26.29 |
| Kansas | 230 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$99,280 a year
- Agricultural Engineers$98,590 a year
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 a year
- Landscape Architects$79,870 a year
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$78,350 a year
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 a year
Common questions
How much do Cartographers and Photogrammetrists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $81,390 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $53,740 and the highest-paid 10% more than $126,950.
How many people work as Cartographers and Photogrammetrists?
About 14,260 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.