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The differences between cartographers and surveyors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cartographer has an average salary of $62,172, which is higher than the $46,875 average annual salary of a surveyor.
The top three skills for a cartographer include GIS, data collection and extraction. The most important skills for a surveyor are GPS, survey data, and data collection.
| Cartographer | Surveyor | |
| Yearly salary | $62,172 | $46,875 |
| Hourly rate | $29.89 | $22.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 390 | 4,087 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 surveyor is responsible for measuring the physical boundaries of a property based on the design documents. Surveyors' duties include determining reference points using special measuring equipment, analyzing land records, evaluating the stability of the property location, verifying data to property agencies and other organizations, responding to the client's inquiries, processing legal property documents, and finalizing boundary lines and maps. A surveyor must have a broad knowledge of the land and property processes, as well as excellent research and analytical skills.
Cartographers and surveyors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cartographer | Surveyor | |
| Average salary | $62,172 | $46,875 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $90,000 | Between $32,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | - |
There are a few differences between a cartographer and a surveyor in terms of educational background:
| Cartographer | Surveyor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Geography | Business |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between cartographers' and surveyors' demographics:
| Cartographer | Surveyor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% | Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 4.9% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |