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Cartographic technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cartographic technician. Cartographic technicians usually study geography, geology, or environmental science. 71% of cartographic technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 268 real cartographic technician resumes to see exactly what cartographic technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for cartographic technicians are the Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma State University.

There are also many online cartographic technician courses to help get the education required to be a cartographic technician.

What education do you need to become a cartographic technician?

What degree do you need to be a cartographic technician?

The most common degree for cartographic technicians is bachelor's degree, with 71% of cartographic technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a cartographic technician?

You should major in geography to become a cartographic technician. 36% of cartographic technicians major in geography. Other common majors for a cartographic technician include geology and environmental science.

Most common colleges for cartographic technicians

Cartographic technicians often get their degrees at Oklahoma State University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and Humboldt State University. Here are the most common colleges for cartographic technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Cartographic technician common collegePercentages
Oklahoma State University8.20%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point8.20%
Humboldt State University6.56%
The University of Montana6.56%
Indiana University Southeast6.56%

Best majors for cartographic technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography35.5%
2Geology9.9%
3Environmental Science7.9%
4Business4.6%
5Drafting And Design4.6%

Best colleges for cartographic technicians

The best colleges for cartographic technicians are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Florida.

A cartographic technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cartographic technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become cartographic technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Enrollment

21,732

5. Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$7,666

Enrollment

18,809

6. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

7. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,265

Enrollment

8,983

8. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

9. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

10. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,400

Enrollment

9,854

20 best online courses for cartographic technicians

Advertising disclosure

1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

coursera

Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an increasingly sought after skill in industries from agriculture to public health. This Specialization, offered in partnership with ArcGIS developer Esri, will teach the skills you need to successfully use GIS software in a professional setting. You will learn how to analyze your spatial data, use cartography techniques to communicate your results in maps, and collaborate with peers in GIS and GIS-dependent fields. In the final Capstone...

2. GIS Data Formats, Design and Quality

coursera

In this course, the second in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization, you will go in-depth with common data types (such as raster and vector data), structures, quality and storage during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn about data models and formats, including a full understanding of vector data and raster concepts. You will also learn about the implications of a data’s scale and how to load layers from web services. Week 2: Create a vector data model by using vector...

3. Exploring Spatial Information using ArcGIS Pro

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4.6
(268)

Arc GIS Pro is the latest in-demand skill for GIS Professionals that you can master using this highly structured course!...

4. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

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4.4
(1,989)

Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

5. Fundamentals of GIS

coursera

Explore the world of spatial analysis and cartography with geographic information systems (GIS). In this class you will learn the basics of the industry’s leading software tool, ArcGIS, during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn how GIS grew from paper maps to the globally integrated electronic software packages of today. You will install ArcGIS on your computer and learn how to use online help to answer technical questions. Week 2: Open up ArcGIS and explore data using ArcMap. Learn the...

6. GIS, Mapping, and Spatial Analysis

coursera

This Specialization is for those new to mapping and GIS, as well as anyone looking to gain a better understanding of how it all works and why. You will learn practical skills that can be applied to your own work using cutting-edge software created by Esri Inc., the world's leading GIS company and our industry partner.\n\nPLEASE NOTE: THE SOFTWARE IS NO LONGER PROVIDED WITH THIS COURSE. YOU WILL HAVE TO OBTAIN IT ON YOUR OWN...

7. ArcGIS Desktop For Spatial Analysis: Go From Basic To Pro

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Spatial Data Analysis With Arc GIS Desktop: Master GIS Techniques and Open Doors to Amazing Geospatial Careers...

8. Practical QGIS For Spatial Data Analysis: Beginner to Expert

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4.3
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Master Geographic Information Systems (GIS) For Spatial Data Analysis With QGIS: Go from Basic To Expert Level...

9. [Intermediate] Spatial Data Analysis with R, QGIS & More

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4.3
(556)

Become an Open source GIS Guru and Tackle Spatial Data Analysis Using R, QGIS, GRASS & GOOGLE EARTH...

10. Spatial Analysis & Geospatial Data Science in Python

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4.7
(438)

Learn how to process and visualize geospatial data and perform spatial analysis using Python...

11. ArcGIS: From Beginner To Pro

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4.2
(492)

Arc GIS Basics...

12. Map Academy: get mapping quickly, with QGIS

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4.7
(901)

Go from map zero to map hero with QGIS: 'heat maps', locator maps, election maps, density maps, analysis, design + more...

13. ArcGIS Level 1: GIS & ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, ArcScene

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4.4
(603)

Make yourself Zero to HERO in GIS and Arc GIS with Arc Map, Arc Globe, Arc Catalog, Arc Scene and Web GIS Basic...

14. Complete Data Wrangling & Data Visualisation With Python

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4.4
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Learn to Preprocess, Wrangle and Visualise Data For Practical Data Science Applications in Python...

15. Groundwater Potential Zones GIS - Complete Project ArcGIS

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4.5
(288)

Also covers, Flood Risk Map, Drought Analysis, Fluctuation from Observed data, Watershed Delineation, Tutorial in depth...

16. Spatial Analysis and Geospatial Data Science With Python

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4.1
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Learn how to process and visualize geospatial data and perform spatial analysis using Python...

17. Machine Learning in GIS and Remote Sensing: 5 Courses in 1

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Understand & apply machine learning and deep learning for geospatial tasks (GIS and Remote Sensing) in QGIS and Arc GIS...

18. Data Engineering using AWS Data Analytics

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4.6
(1,720)

Build Data Engineering Pipelines on AWS using Data Analytics Services - Glue, EMR, Athena, Kinesis, Lambda, Redshift...

19. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

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4.5
(270)

This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

20. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

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4.6
(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

Top 10 most affordable universities for cartographic technicians

The most affordable schools for cartographic technicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fresno.

If the best universities for cartographic technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for cartographic technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cartographic technicians

The hardest universities for cartographic technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Florida.

Some great schools for cartographic technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for cartographic technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

10. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cartographic technicians

The easiest schools for cartographic technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, oregon institute of technology, and texas a&m; university - corpus christi.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cartographic technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for cartographic technicians.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

4. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

5. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

6. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

7. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average cartographic technician salary by education level

According to our data, cartographic technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $57,242 annually. Cartographic technicians with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $51,442.
Cartographic technician education levelCartographic technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$51,442
Some College/ Associate Degree$57,242

Cartographic technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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