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Cartography technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cartography technician. Cartography technicians usually study geography, biology, or geology. 86% of cartography technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 29 real cartography technician resumes to see exactly what cartography technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for cartography technicians are the The University of Montana and the The University of Montana.

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

What education do you need to become a cartography technician?

What degree do you need to be a cartography technician?

  • Bachelor's, 86%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a cartography technician?

You should major in geography to become a cartography technician. 65% of cartography technicians major in geography. Other common majors for a cartography technician include biology and geology.

Most common colleges for cartography technicians

Cartography technicians often get their degrees at The University of Montana, University of Kansas, and University of Wisconsin - Madison. Here are the most common colleges for cartography technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Cartography technician common collegePercentages
The University of Montana11.76%
University of Kansas11.76%
University of Wisconsin - Madison5.88%
Northern Michigan University5.88%
Utah State University5.88%

Best majors for cartography technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography65.2%
2Biology8.7%
3Geology8.7%
4Electromechanical Engineering4.3%
5Civil Engineering4.3%

Best colleges for cartography technicians

The best colleges for cartography technicians are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A cartography 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 cartography 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 cartography technicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for cartography 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. 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...

3. Improving software development productivity

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4.3
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Improving software development productivity. Practical techniques...

4. The Product Management for AI & Data Science Course

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4.3
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The Complete Course for Becoming a Successful Product Manager in the Field of AI & Data Science...

5. GIS Data Formats, Design and Quality

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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...

6. Software Product Management

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In this Software Product Management Specialization, you will master Agile software management practices to lead a team of developers and interact with clients. In the final Capstone Project, you will practice and apply management techniques to realistic scenarios that you will face as a Software Product Manager. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences and learn from the insights of others as part of a Software Product Management...

7. Map Academy: get mapping quickly, with QGIS

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4.7
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Go from map zero to map hero with QGIS: 'heat maps', locator maps, election maps, density maps, analysis, design + more...

8. Product and Service Management

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Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...

9. Product and Service Development: Empathy Mapping with Miro

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By the end of this project, you will be fluent in identifying and creating Empathy Maps based on persona for new products and services and in deriving opportunities from your analysis, thus generating positive results for your business venture. This project is designed to engage and harness your visionary and exploratory abilities. You will use proven models in strategy and product development with the Miro platform to explore and analyze customer data combined with the development of Empathy...

10. SkillUp EdTech Office Productivity Software

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Designed for learners of all experience levels, this program equips you with the essential skills needed to use the software tools utilized on a daily basis in office environments. Throughout the program, consisting of a series of mini-courses, you will delve into the different categories of office productivity software, discovering the popular applications within each category. To begin, you will gain a solid foundation in navigating the Windows desktop, managing files and folders, and...

11. Informatica Cloud - Data Integration

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4
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IICS - Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services (Data Integration)...

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

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

13. Python Data Products for Predictive Analytics

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Python data products are powering the AI revolution. Top companies like Google, Facebook, and Netflix use predictive analytics to improve the products and services we use every day. Take your Python skills to the next level and learn to make accurate predictions with data-driven systems and deploy machine learning models with this four-course Specialization from UC San Diego.\n\nThis Specialization is for learners who are proficient with the basics of Python. You’ll start by creating your first...

14. Insightful Customer Interviews for Product Managers

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Direct conversations with real customers to gain insight, test product concepts, and drive product success...

15. Siebel CRM EAI,Web Services,Integration &Automation Workflow

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Siebel Enterprise Application Integration...

16. Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) 12c Developer Course

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Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) 12c Developer Course...

17. The Ultimate Gmail Productivity System For Business

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Learn over 20 different strategies and tools to cut your time spent on email in half and massively increase productivity...

18. Product Management for Maximum Impact

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Product Management Videos, Insights, Success Metrics...

19. MS Office 2013: 10-in-1 Courses To Maximize Productivity

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Comprehensive, all-in-one training to get the most out of Microsoft Office 2013. 10-in-1 courses with 80 hours of video...

20. Scrum Product Owner & Scrum Product Owner Certification

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Introduction to Agile and Scrum Product Owner Role + Preparation to Product Owner Certification Tests + Mock Exam...

Top 10 most affordable universities for cartography technicians

The most affordable schools for cartography technicians are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for cartography 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 cartography technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cartography technicians

The hardest universities for cartography technicians to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for cartography 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 cartography 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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

The easiest schools for cartography technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cartography 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 cartography technicians.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average cartography technician salary by education level

Cartography technician education levelCartography technician salary
Bachelor's Degree$46,165

Cartography 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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