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The differences between cartographers and gis specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a gis specialist has an average salary of $65,463, which is higher than the $62,172 average annual salary of a cartographer.
The top three skills for a cartographer include GIS, data collection and extraction. The most important skills for a gis specialist are GPS, python, and data collection.
| Cartographer | GIS Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,172 | $65,463 |
| Hourly rate | $29.89 | $31.47 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 390 | 2,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A cartographer is someone who makes charts and maps based on geodetic surveys and satellite images. This person usually works with the government or a construction company to create urban planning and infrastructure development plans. The cartographer is an essential part of the construction business as it is necessary to know the lay of the land to build structures and edifices properly. The cartographer works alongside the architect and the overall engineer in a construction project.
A GIS Specialist plans, develops, and implements systems and databases for storing and accessing geospatial data. They create maps and graphs using GIS software and related equipment.
Cartographers and gis specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cartographer | GIS Specialist | |
| Average salary | $62,172 | $65,463 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $90,000 | Between $43,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Edison, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Wonderful Company | |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Energy |
There are a few differences between a cartographer and a gis specialist in terms of educational background:
| Cartographer | GIS Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Geography | Geography |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between cartographers' and gis specialists' demographics:
| Cartographer | GIS Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |