Cartographer vs mapper

The differences between cartographers and mappers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mapper has an average salary of $75,560, 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 mapper are GIS, cad software, and pipeline project.

Cartographer vs mapper overview

	Cartographer	Mapper
Yearly salary	$62,172	$75,560
Hourly rate	$29.89	$36.33
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	390	3,196
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Cartographer vs mapper salary

Cartographers and mappers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cartographer	Mapper
Average salary	$62,172	$75,560
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $90,000	Between $47,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	Maine	-
Best paying company	Google	-
Best paying industry	Utilities	-

Differences between cartographer and mapper education

There are a few differences between a cartographer and a mapper in terms of educational background:

	Cartographer	Mapper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Geography	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Pennsylvania State University	Ferris State University

Cartographer vs mapper demographics

Here are the differences between cartographers' and mappers' demographics:

	Cartographer	Mapper
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%	Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3%
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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cartographer and mapper duties and responsibilities

Cartographer example responsibilities.

Provide geographic-based services, support and expertise to numerous divisions in GTNP using ESRI ArcGIS software.
Support cartographic map production through digital extraction and correlation of terrain and environmental features.
Create and teach tutorials regarding spatial methodology relate to spatial analysis for statewide agency GIS users.
Experience in production of NGA mapping products.
Conduct field surveys using GPS and other survey equipment.
Perform FDC/QC/FDV; select for dedicate QC and audit.

Mapper example responsibilities.

Create UNIX and LINUX shell scripts to automate data migration process.
Deploy maps onto Unix platform.
Work with a small team to map and program a product call OnPar GPS.
Map out utilities (water meters and manhole covers) with a professional GPS unit.
Prepare any HDD's, wetland area details and other drawings as required by project.
Work with all types of 3D file types and computers systems including UNIX, PC and MACINTOSH.

Cartographer vs mapper skills

Common cartographer skills

GIS, 18%
Data Collection, 11%
Extraction, 11%
Remote Sensing, 8%
GPS, 6%
Bathymetric, 6%

Common mapper skills

GIS, 28%
CAD Software, 16%
Pipeline Project, 10%
As-Built, 8%
GPS, 7%
Profile Drawings, 4%

Updated January 8, 2025

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