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Mapping technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mapping technician. Mapping technicians usually study geography, drafting and design, or business. 60% of mapping technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 561 real mapping technician resumes to see exactly what mapping technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for mapping technicians are the University of Southern Maine and the University of Southern Maine.

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

What education do you need to become a mapping technician?

What degree do you need to be a mapping technician?

The most common degree for mapping technicians is bachelor's degree, with 60% of mapping technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a mapping technician?

You should major in geography to become a mapping technician. 25% of mapping technicians major in geography. Other common majors for a mapping technician include drafting and design and business.

Most common colleges for mapping technicians

Mapping technicians often get their degrees at University of Southern Maine, Pennsylvania State University, and Keene State College. Here are the most common colleges for mapping technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Mapping technician common collegePercentages
University of Southern Maine7.46%
Pennsylvania State University7.46%
Keene State College7.46%
University of New Hampshire5.97%
University of Vermont5.97%

Best majors for mapping technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography25.2%
2Drafting And Design15.2%
3Business9.6%
4General Studies5.2%
5Geology5.2%

Best colleges for mapping technicians

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

A mapping 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 mapping 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 mapping technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for mapping technicians

Advertising disclosure

1. 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...

2. Customer Journey Maps with IoT Touchpoints in Miro

coursera

By the end of this project, you will be able to create a customer journey map that includes touchpoints from the internet (IoT). When customer journey maps include IoT touchpoints, they enable businesses to understand the holistic customer experience by considering their user experience (UX) and when user interface (UX) design may influence that experience. To identify IoT touchpoints with customer journey maps, you will gain hands-on experience applying design thinking, user interface...

3. Internet Mapping with Geoserver, Postgres, and Openlayers 3

udemy
4.2
(602)

Create your first Internet Map Server application using Open Source GIS tools this weekend...

4. Mind Maps/ Mind Mapping for Teachers, Trainers, & Presenters

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4.2
(325)

Using Mind Mapping to Plan>Rehearse >Teach brain-friendly lessons, broadcasts or webinars (Mind Maps,Memory,Mindmapping)...

5. Introduction to Systems and Network Mapping with Kumu

coursera

In this 1-hour long project-based course, you will create an interactive multi-elements relationship map, as well as design visualizations for a real-world social network, based on metrics analyses. Besides helping you to make sense of complex data, relationship maps like the ones we will build here are a great medium to visually present Causal Loop and Stock and Flow diagrams, as well as non-linear dynamics within an ecosystem. This project will also introduce you to some of the basic concepts...

6. Create an Empathy Map in Miro

coursera

By the end of this project, you will be able to create an empathy map to gain a deeper insight into customers, opportunities to better meet their needs, and uncover any existing holes in user data. To do this, you will gain hands-on experience applying design thinking, empathy, and context from User Experience research to create an empathy map in the Miro online visual collaboration platform for teamwork. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re...

7. Business Process Mapping

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4.3
(288)

The complete guide to map any business process...

8. 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...

9. Mind Mapping Mastery -> Effective Mind Maps -> Step by Step

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4.5
(4,742)

Mind Mapping - SMART Productivity and Memory Tool: Think Clearly, Organise, & Plan better; Study, Learn, & Recall Faster...

10. Certified Process Mapping / Flowcharts Expert Accredited

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4.7
(352)

Accredited Process Mapping / Process Flowcharts Training And Certification Use Process Mapping For Process Improvement...

11. Leadership, Business Process Improvement, & Process Mapping!

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4.5
(3,086)

Learn the leadership, communication, and process mapping skills to accelerate your career!...

12. Design Thinking: Customer Journey Mapping

udemy
4.1
(320)

Sure shot way to delight customers, recreate value proposition, improve customer experience (CX) & become profitable...

13. Process Mapping and Flowcharts Certification (Accredited)

udemy
4.5
(1,994)

Complete Process Mapping and Process Flowcharts Guide - Beginners Process Mapping Specialist Certification Earn PDUs...

14. Interactive maps with Mapbox!

udemy
4.3
(321)

Data, Mapbox Studio, and Mapbox GL JS...

15. Mind map for Beginners. How to make learning fun and fast.

udemy
4.5
(1,550)

Learn to Mind Map in 2 hrs with these succinct videos. A vital 21C skill to deal with information overload...

16. Value Stream Mapping Masterclass: Become a VSM Specialist

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4.5
(2,262)

Get Value Stream Mapping (VSM) Trained Become a Certified Value Stream Mapping (VSM) Specialist Earn PDUs CPDs...

17. Maps with R Leaflet

udemy
4.4
(340)

Transform your data into interactive maps!...

18. Blender 2.8 UV Mapping

udemy
4.8
(479)

Learn to UV Map your 3D models in Blender 2.8...

19. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Advanced Guide

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4.7
(3,077)

Enhance your process flowchart knowledge advanced symbols, concepts, and best practices! - ECBA/CCBA/CBAP endorsed...

20. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Beginner's Guide

udemy
4.6
(12,857)

Use business analysis to model process flows with real-world examples & project-based hands-on activities -IIBA Endorsed...

Top 10 most affordable universities for mapping technicians

The most affordable schools for mapping technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for mapping 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 mapping technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mapping technicians

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

Some great schools for mapping 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 mapping 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

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

The easiest schools for mapping technicians to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average mapping technician salary by education level

According to our data, mapping technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,356 annually. Mapping technicians with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $39,180.
Mapping technician education levelMapping technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$39,180
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,356

Mapping 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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